Born in São Paulo, José Soares is Associate Conductor of the Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra since 2022, having been its Assistant Conductor in the two previous seasons.

He won the 19th Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting, 2021 edition. José Soares also received the audience award in the same competition.

He started in music with his mother, Ana Yara Campos. He studied Orchestral Conducting with maestro Claudio Cruz, in a regular program of masterclasses in partnership with the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the State of São Paulo. He participated as a fellow in the 2016 and 2017 editions of the Campos do Jordão International Winter Festival, being mentored by Marin Alsop, Arvo Volmer, Giancarlo Guerrero and Alexander Libreich. He received, in the latter, the Conducting Award, and was invited to act as assistant conductor of Osesp in part of the 2018 season, participating in a Morning Concert at the invitation of Marin Alsop.

At the end of 2021, he received the critics’ award in the ‘Young Talent’ category from Concerto Magazine. In the year 2022, he conducted the NHK Symphony Orchestras in Tokyo and MÁV Symphonie Orchester in Budapest.

In 2023 he makes his guest appearances with Osesp, New Japan Philharmonic, Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, and Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra in Japan.