TOMÁS GARCÍA  is an Ecuadorian orchestra and opera conductor based in New Jersey committed to reimagining the concert experience through interdisciplinary collaboration. He has conducted productions of Don Giovanni and Carmen with Rutgers Opera Theater, and has served as assistant conductor for productions including Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, Muhly’s Dark Sisters, and Daugherty’s Jackie O, for which he also served as chorusmaster. He has been invited to assist conduct the Orquesta Clásica Santa Cecilia (Spain), Chicago Summer Opera, Opera Neo (San Diego), and Penn’s Woods Music Festival. He serves as Associate Conductor of the Modus Operandi Orchestra and has worked with a range of ensembles in both symphonic and operatic settings. Tomás is currently pursuing a DMA in Orchestral Conducting at Rutgers University, where he has conducted Sinfonia and served as assistant conductor for the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra, Opera Theater, and the contemporary ensemble HELIX. His mentors include Kynan Johns and Gerardo Edelstein. He holds degrees from Penn State, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the University of Houston, and has worked in masterclass settings with conductors including Carl St. Clair and Donald Schleicher.