In February 2008, Chilean conductor Maximiano Valdés was named Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Puerto Rico Symphony. Mr. Valdés recently ended a 16 year tenure as Music Director of the Orquesta Sinfonica del Principado de Asturias in Spain and was named the orchestra's Conductor Laureate. He is a former Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic and served as Chief Conductor of both the orchestra and opera at the Teatro Municipal in Santiago, Chile, where he returns annually for both symphonic and opera performances. In March 2010, Mr. Valdés also accepted the position of Artistic Director of the famed Festival Casals in San Juan.