Venezuelan to guest star on the podium

A promising young Venezuelan conductor will make a special guest appearance with the National Arts Centre Orchestra tonight in the opening of the orchestra's three-concert Great Composers summer series. Although NACO director Pinchas Zukerman will conduct most of the concert, Diego Matheuz will step in to conduct Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, with Canadian pianist Katherine Chi as soloist. Matheuz, 24, is also a violinist and began studying conducting only three years ago, but he came to Ottawa highly recommended by star Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Matheuz is one of the concertmasters of Venezuela's much acclaimed Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra, which Dudamel directs. He has been assistant conductor to Dudamel on recent orchestra tours. Matheuz has also assisted veteran Italian conductor Claudio Abbado.