Home

10%

CONDUCTING HER OWN FUTURE

Music student shines on the national stage

By West Virginia University

October 9^th, 2025

When Maria Carmona lifted her hands to conduct the American Pops Orchestra at the 38th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards in Washington, D.C., she wasn’t just keeping time. She was standing at the intersection of passion and possibility.

The West Virginia University School of Music doctoral student had stepped onto a national stage at the historic Warner Theatre. Hours of dedication brought her to this moment – a continuation of a lifelong love of music and the way it connects people across time and culture.

“I began studying piano and singing in choir at a conservatory when I was 9,” she said. “I enjoy building relationships and being able to do that through music is, to me, the greatest gift. Something magical happens when people come together with a shared purpose — barriers disappear, even language — and everyone can experience the beauty of making music together.

“I like to think of music as my first language, and that led me to conducting because music speaks for everyone.”

Maria Carmona, music conducting doctoral student at WVU, took the stage of the historic Warner Theater in Washington, D.C.

WVU student Maria Carmona conducts the American Pops Orchestra during the 38th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards, which aired September 2025 on PBS.

That sense of music as both personal and communal has carried her from her home country of Colombia, where she earned her bachelor’s and first master’s in orchestral conducting, to Morgantown, where she has built both her academic career and her sense of belonging.

“I discovered WVU as a high-quality institution, and I am very proud to already be an alumna, having completed my second master’s degree in conducting and now working on my doctorate,” Carmona said. “The experience has been truly wonderful — not only because of the faculty’s excellence, but also because of the warm and welcoming community I have found here.”

An Orchestra of Mentors

That community has included both WVU professors and alumni networks. Carmona points to faculty members Kym Scott, Michael Vercelli, and Mikylah Myers who have offered both musical and personal guidance, while programs like the Creative Consultant and Media Mentors initiative expanded her circle even further.

Through the mentorship program, Carmona connected with alumni leaders such as conductor Joshua Habermann and, most recently, Luke Frazier, the WVU alumnus who founded the American Pops Orchestra in 2015.

WVU alumnus Luke Frazier conducts the American Pops Orchestra.

WVU School of Music alumnus Luke Frazier with current doctoral student Maria Carmona.

“I feel truly fortunate for the remarkable mentors I have had at WVU,” Carmona said.

Frazier, also the artistic and music director of the Symphony of the Americas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said giving students like Carmona real-world experience is essential.

“As a conductor, practical experience is everything, and giving Maria the chance to practice her skills and learn from a professional, non-academic environment is something essential for her growth as she pursues a career as a professional conductor,” Frazier said.

For him, mentoring is part of a larger vision. As is the American Pops Orchestra itself.

“I wanted to create an orchestra that came at performing from a service mentality — service to the art form, but also a service to our community in hopes of bringing people together. I also always make sure to make education a central pillar of all that we do.”

Maria Carmona gets ready to conduct the American Pops Orchestra in Washington, D.C.

Pride and Potential

On the stage in the nation’s capital, Carmona carried that philosophy with her.

“It was an honor,” she said. “The musicians were extraordinary, warm, supportive, and I felt both respected and inspired. I will always carry with me the joy of making music with them and the pride of representing WVU on such an important stage.”

That pride was layered with identity. “As a Latina born in Colombia, it was meaningful to take part in an event that celebrates Hispanic and Latino heritage and culture in the United States,” she explained.

The Hispanic Heritage Awards was created and coordinated by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation under the leadership of President and CEO Antonio Tijerino.

For WVU faculty like Michael Vercelli, Carmona’s success illustrates what happens when talented, hardworking students find the support they need to thrive.

“For Maria, I hope this event presented an opportunity for her to display her conducting talent and expertise, while also representing her home country of Colombia on an international stage,” Vercelli said. “For WVU, this is a wonderful example of the relationships we foster with external organizations such as the American Pops Orchestra, alumni such as APO conductor Luke Frazier, and our graduate students.”

The 38th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards from the historic Warner Theatre aired nationally on PBS.

Maria Carmona, who studies orchestral conducting at WVU, got the opportunity to conduct the American Pops Orchestra on a national stage.

Maria Carmona gets ready to take the stage.

Maria Carmona says it was an honor to conduct the American Pops Orchestra and credits her mentors at the WVU College of Creative Arts and Media.

The Horizon Beckons

Carmona is already eyeing the next stage of her journey.

“I dream of continuing to conduct orchestras and choirs internationally, while also teaching at the university level. WVU has given me the chance to put my knowledge and professionalism into practice, for which I am very grateful. After completing my doctorate, I hope to keep growing as a conductor and educator, sharing my passion for music with others.”

As her story shows, opportunities are about more than 1 performance. They’re about connections across generations. Connections between alumni and faulty who open doors and nurture growth, and students who carry the pioneering spirit of WVU onto the world stage.

Footnotes

Story by Mikenna Pierotti. Photos and videos provided by Maria Carmona.

Button Label

FootNotes

Story by Mikenna Pierotti. Photos and videos provided by Maria Carmona.

MIDDLE SCHOOLERS PUT PRESIDENT BENSON TO THE TEST

CONDUCTING HER OWN FUTURE

Music student shines on the national stage

FootNotes

March 5^th, 2026

WVU roboticist Yu Gu lets his curiosity lead him — all the way to outer space

Mon Hills Records students raise their voices

Home and professional lives intersect for WVU faculty couples

February 9^th, 2026

‘Country Roads’ and its enduring life at WVU — and beyond

FootNotes

March 5th, 2026

WVU roboticist Yu Gu lets his curiosity lead him — all the way to outer space

Mon Hills Records students raise their voices

Home and professional lives intersect for WVU faculty couples

February 9th, 2026

‘Country Roads’ and its enduring life at WVU — and beyond

March 5^th, 2026

February 9^th, 2026