The first woman of African descent to conduct a symphony orchestra in France and the first Latin American to take the baton of the Brussels Philharmonic (Belgium), the Venezuelan Gladysmarli Del Valle, better known as Glass Marcano, is breaking stereotypes and opening the way for new generations; according to a study commissioned by “La Maestra” in 2022, only 8% of orchestras worldwide are conducted by women. Daughter of teachers, at the age of four she began taking violin lessons at the National System of Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela. She joined the Conservatorio de Música Blanca Estrella de Mescoli. She was part of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of San Felipe, her hometown. At 18, she realized she wanted to conduct orchestras, but her parents told her she had to pursue a “real” career. She enrolled in Law at the Central University of Venezuela and combined her studies with music. She took every opportunity she had to conduct an orchestra or do a workshop. In 2017, she entered the National Experimental University of the Arts and the following year she was appointed Titular Director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony Orchestra. In 2019 she learned about the “La Maestra” competition, an international competition for women conductors created by the Paris Philharmonic and the Paris Mozart Orchestra. She asked her family and friends to help pay for the registration. She was selected, but the pandemic came. She traveled to her village to work at her mother's fruit shop. When the new date for the event was set, Venezuela's airports were still closed. Glass read that there would be a humanitarian flight to repatriate Spaniards. The organization of the contest managed to get the French Consulate to give her a visa and get her a seat on the plane. She won the Special Prize of the Orchestra and continued her training at the Paris Conservatory. She has taken the baton of various orchestras and this year conducted the Brussels Philharmonic. She toured around Europe in 2023.