Karina Canellakis is an American conductor and former violinist internationally acclaimed for her expressive symphonic and operatic leadership. She is currently Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Notably, Canellakis was the first woman to be appointed Principal Guest Conductor for the London Philharmonic and the first woman to be Chief Conductor of any Dutch orchestra. She also made history as the first woman to conduct the Nobel Prize Concert in Stockholm and to serve as Principal Guest Conductor of the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. As both a violinist and conductor, Canellakis has worked with leading orchestras across Europe and North America, including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Vienna Symphony, Orchestre de Paris, and Munich Philharmonic. Canellakis is also an accomplished opera conductor and has led Der Rosenkavalier at Santa Fe Opera and Dialogues des Carmélites in Paris. Originally trained as a violinist, she turned to conducting and built a groundbreaking career stemming from her musical upbringing in New York City.