Sonia Marie De León de Vega

De Leon de Vega, noted symphony and opera conductor, has achieved distinction as a woman in a groundbreaking career role and as an influential leader in the growing Latino culture in the United States. She became the first woman in history to receive a Vatican invitation to conduct a symphony orchestra at a Papal Mass. She formed the Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Los Angeles in 1992 to bring classical music to the Latino community. She created the dynamic Discovering Music program, which takes orchestra members into elementary schools in underserved Latino neighborhoods to introduce children to classical music and orchestra instruments. De Leon de Vega also is the producer and music director for the annual Opera Under the Stars concert in Los Angeles, which has launched the careers of many young operatic vocalists. In 2000 she was voted “Outstanding Latina Woman of the Year’’ by Unison and other corporations.