Venezuelan cellist, conductor, and pedagogue María Antonieta Salas is a sought-after performer, coach, and teacher in South Florida, serving as the Musical Director of the International School of Music (ISM) in Doral and founder of the Miami Youth Orchestra and Choir (MYO). Her training began under the acclaimed “El Sistema” organization in Caracas, where she studied with Marek Gazhler and worked closely with José Antonio Abreu. Ms. Salas continued her education at the Simón Bolívar Conservatory under Master Cellist William Molina Cestari and from the Russian Canadian cellist Yuli Turovsky in Montreal.  A respected teacher, she has been serving the community through her music school by providing a plethora of services such as orchestral programs and private instructions for a variety of instruments: strings, guitar, voice, woodwinds, brass, and piano. Her current students are members of local ensembles and attend schools such as New World School of the Arts and Doral Academy Preparatory School. Her former students currently participate in professional ensembles, attend prestigious conservatories and universities such as the San Francisco Conservatory, Longy School of Music, Miami Dade College, Florida International University, Syracuse University, Juilliard School, University of Miami, and the Manhattan School of Music. Most recently, her cello student Edward Luengo became a prize winner at the Carlos Prieto International Cello Competition. Ms. Salas has appeared regularly in televised performances and has worked alongside Plácido Domingo, Ricardo Montaner, Tania de Venezuela, Jennifer Lopez, Il Divo, Il Volo, Oscar DeLeón, Andrea Bocelli and many more distinguished artists. She is currently a member of the cello section at the Miami Symphony Orchestra (MISO) where she plays under the baton of maestro Eduardo Marturet.