Enluis Montes Olivar was no stranger to the stage when he crossed the commencement ceremony platform on May 15 to receive his bachelor’s degree in music from Columbus State University. The 29-year-old Venezuelan native and conducting prodigy has been standing on performance stages and leading orchestras before audiences of thousands since the age of 6.

At 22, he set a world record in conducting.

And, just two days before graduating from college, Montes stood in the grand nave of Manhattan’s Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine conducting the acclaimed New York Philharmonic for his first time as he led Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 2” and a concerto with international trumpeter Pacho Flores for a 3,000-capacity audience.

“From my first day seeing an orchestra at age 6, the conductor impressed me the most,” Montes recalled of his conducting journey. “He was the one guiding the whole team. I was told, ‘You have to learn an instrument first.’ But I wanted to conduct most of all.”

Montes made his conducting debut at 11, and by his mid-20s, his resume included the prestigious Dudamel Conducting Fellowship and global conducting credits with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, the San Diego Symphony and as an assistant conductor for the Paris Opera.

Adding a degree to his international fame

Although Montes was already recognized as one of the world’s most talented young conductors, his resume lacked a college degree, which is often essential for obtaining future conducting fellowships and positions that demand formal academic credentials. With a performance portfolio rivaling that of conductors three times his age, Montes was in a strong position to select any major cultural hub worldwide to further his education.

He selected the Joyce & Henry Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University.

“The facilities here, like Legacy Hall, rival any concert hall in Europe or South America,” Montes noted of the school’s offerings. “More importantly, I found a community that genuinely believes in growing up together—a philosophy that perfectly mirrors my roots.”

Facilities drew Montes to Columbus State, but resources such as the Dr. Jon Bartlett Music Scholarship, established by Jack and Nicole Ceccato, made his education achievable.

As a bonus, attending Columbus State meant Enluis could study with his older brother, Diego Andrés Montes Olivar, who enrolled in the Schwob School of Music as a Woodruff Scholarship recipient a few years earlier. Diego earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance in 2025 and is now working on an artist diploma at Schwob, while also serving as the principal percussionist for the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra in Georgia.

Montes was primarily drawn to the Schwob School by the opportunity to work directly with Professor Paul Hostetter, who holds the school’s Ethel Foley Distinguished Chair in Orchestral Activities. Hostetter quickly understood that mentoring a talented student like Montes required an innovative, highly collaborative teaching approach.

“[We had an obligation to] provide a structure that was going to be beneficial to somebody as advanced a musician—and artist—like Enluis,” Hostettler explained. “From my perspective, I definitely felt a lot of pressure. When you take somebody onto campus, you’re shepherding dreams—and his dreams were exceptionally serious.”

In addition to working with Hostettler to deepen his knowledge of conducting principles and theory, Montes also pursued other musical disciplines. He studied piano with Dr. Esther Park (an associate professor) and opera with Dr. Joshua May (an associate professor of voice and director of opera activities). Under the guidance of Dr. Michelle DeBryun (professor) and Dr. Laura Thomason (lecturer), he also expanded his skills to include vocal performance.

“I learned how to sing—how about that?” Montes said. “That provides me with tools to conduct better, to feel the music differently, and to follow the singers better. [With that training], I know when the singers are going to need to take a breath.”

At the heart of his studies, however, Montes noted that his focus is always on learning to connect more effectively with his orchestra.

“I’m the guy who’s in charge of getting 80 to 100 people together to read a page of music,” Montes said, breaking down a conductor’s job into its basic tenets. “Beyond that, though, the conductor helps musicians make their performance the best it can be. When an orchestra feels good with a conductor, and there’s a connection, musicians play better. The conductor is the bridge between the technical process and the ‘magic.’”

‘Conducting is about leadership’

Montes started his studies at Columbus State with a broad repertoire that included classical, romantic and modern works. Consequently, Hostetter aimed to discover new methods and compositions to test Montes technically and personally. This strategy involved selecting pieces that would enhance Montes’ conducting skills, stamina and leadership abilities.

“Conducting is about leadership,” Hostetter added. “It’s about creating culture and accountability [with the orchestra]. It’s about listening and creating connections. You have to come into [conducting] with this incredible blend of humility, expertise, confidence, charisma and technical proficiency—and just a love and compassion for the music and for the people with whom you have the privilege to work.”

Nevertheless, the demanding schedule of conducting adds to the workload for music students like Montes. Within a single semester, he led as many as 20 Schwob School recitals, amounting to over 1,500 minutes of conducting. This is in addition to his full-time course load, which includes classes ranging from music performance and theory to anthropology and biology. Hostetter described Montes’ handling of these responsibilities as a “magic trick,” particularly given his simultaneous preparations and performances at professional conducting events alongside his studies.

That work ethic stems from nearly two decades of conducting experience after his official debut on the podium in his native Venezuela. At age 11, he led the orchestra and choir of Guanare, his hometown, with his older brother Diego playing percussion. His talent quickly caught the eye of Maestro José Antonio Abreu, founder of Venezuela’s El Sistema youth music education program in 1975. In 2012, Abreu mentored Montes through comprehensive training, while Montes also attended Venezuela’s El Sistema Orchestral Conducting School and the Simón Bolívar Conservatory of Music.

Montes’ El Sistema background continues to influence him, even during college and amid his busy academic and professional life. When he is not performing, he teaches in the Schwob Music Preparatory Program, where he inspires and mentors the next generation of conductors among local young musicians.

In 2018, following the death of his El Sistema mentor, Montes was one of two conductors to lead a historic posthumous tribute to Abreu. This event brought together an orchestra and choir of 10,000 musicians, uniting the El Sistema community. A future gathering of the El Sistema community, this one in 2021 and including Montes as a conductor (pictured), set a Guinness World Record for the largest ensemble of its kind at that time and involved more than 12,000 musicians.

In 2019, he received the esteemed Dudamel Conducting Fellowship with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for two seasons. During this period, and under the guidance of Gustavo Dudamel (pictured with Montes), Montes conducted the LA Phil at renowned venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the orchestra’s 2,265-seat home venue, and the historic 17,500-seat Hollywood Bowl.

After enrolling at Columbus State, he went on to win first prize and the orchestra prize at the 2022 International Conducting Competition at the University of Almería in Spain. In 2024, he received the esteemed Glenn Gould Protégé Prize, with a celebration on the stage of Carnegie Hall.

As Montes finishes his studies at Columbus State and resumes his full-time conducting career, his packed schedule reflects his global popularity. He views his upcoming engagements—labeling them as a series of “extraordinary moments” doing what he loves—as a continuous journey. These include serving as the cover conductor for Dudamel’s final concert as music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in mid-June—marking the culmination of his 17-year tenure. He is also scheduled for performances in Bogota, China and New York, along with a European tour spanning six countries.

By providing a world-class laboratory for world-class talent like Montes, Columbus State has left an indelible mark on the future of classical music.

“But no matter where I go, the Schwob School of Music remains part of my family.”