His notable recent conducting engagements showcase a remarkable range, from leading the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and the Miami Symphony Orchestra to directing the National Youth Orchestra of the RNOCIJP (Panama) and the Teresa Carreño Symphony Orchestra. Aguilar has also demonstrated his artistic prowess with the Simón Bolívar Choir, the Florida International University Symphony Orchestra, the Teresa Carreño Ballet, the VUM Orchestra, the New River Orchestra, and the inaugural concert of the innovative Miami Ocean Orchestra. On the youth orchestras front, he has been selected to lead the 2024 spring concert of the Broward All-County Honors Gold Orchestra in Coral Springs, FL.

In Venezuela, Luis embarked on his orchestral conducting career under the guidance of El Sistema’s founder, Maestro José Antonio Abreu, and continued with professors Teresa Hernández and Dick van Gasteren. He further honed his craft by earning a Master’s Degree in Orchestral Conducting from Florida International University, guided by Dr. Javier Mendoza. Currently, Luis is diligently advancing his conducting skills under the mentorship of The Juilliard School’s Professor Mark Shapiro.

Aguilar’s accolades include the Graduate Performance Award from Florida International University in March 2020 and participation in the 28th World Music Competition. His academic excellence led to invitations to join two prestigious honor societies, the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and the Golden Key International Honour Society.

In 2021, Luis emerged as a finalist in the Los Angeles Conducting Workshop and Competition with Maestro Neil Thomson and Dr. Scott Weiss. His talent was also recognized with invitations to participate in the Antal Dorati International Conducting Competition in Hungary in 2021 and the Nino Rota International Conducting Competition in Italy in 2022.

As a former Principal Viola of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (2006-2012), Aguilar collaborated with renowned conductors and soloists such as Gustavo Dudamel, Claudio Abbado, Simon Rattle, Daniel Barenboim, Juan Diego Florez, Luciano Pavarotti, Bryn Terfel, Itzhak Perlman, and Pinchas Zukerman, and performed at some of the most prestigious venues around the globe such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Carnegie Hall in New York, the Symphony Center in Chicago, the Berliner Philharmonie in Berlin, the Musikverein in Vienna, and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.

During his time with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, Luis received a Latin Grammy Award for “Bidimensional” (Producciones Guaqueros, 2017) and was nominated for “Fiesta” (Deutsche Grammophon, 2008). He also performed as principal viola in two albums: “The Rite of Spring” with conductor Gustavo Dudamel (Deutsche Grammophon, 2010) and “Claudio Abbado – Easter 2010 at Lucerne Festival” with conductor Claudio Abbado (Accentus Music, 2011). Additionally, he participated in side-by-side concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Goteborg Symphony.

Luis’s chamber music experience extends to collaborations with notable musicians, including Klaus Thunemann (bassoon), Jonathan Cohler (clarinet), Kalman Berkes (clarinet), and Adalbert Skocic (cello). He also participated in workshops with the Latin American Quartet (2007) and Rainer Schmidt, violinist of the Hagen String Quartet (2009).

Beyond his musical prowess, Luis served as Strings Coordinator for El Sistema’s National Orchestral Program of Venezuela (2017-2018). During this period, he played a pivotal role in shaping El Sistema’s Procedures Manual, charting the viola curriculum for the upcoming El Sistema University, and designing strategies such as national educational tours to foster the growth of youth and children orchestras.

Luis passionately supports organizations dedicated to enhancing the lives of children and youth. His recent contributions include serving as a guest clinician and conductor at The Kim Noltemy Young Musicians program of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and at Sistema Ravinia (Ravinia Festival, Chicago). Additionally, he has assumed the role of conductor for the Young Mozarts String Orchestra, the Concert Chamber Ensemble, and the Symphony Quartet within the Greater Miami Youth Symphony (Miami). His impact also extends to leading masterclasses for esteemed institutions, including Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA, Los Angeles), Big Noise (Sistema Scotland, Stirling), Superar (Sistema Austria, Vienna), Batuta (Bogota, Colombia), Música para Crecer of CAF Latin America (Panama City, Panama), NEOJIBA (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), and El Sistema Venezuela.