Her achievements in clarinet performance and research are extraordinary. Her project Ritmos de mi Tierra won the 2024 Research Competition of the International Clarinet Association in Dublin, Ireland.

Gloria Orozco Dorado, a 2016 graduate of the Instrumental Music Program at the University of Cauca, stands out for her outstanding accomplishments throughout her professional journey. This year, she was nominated for the Outstanding Graduate award from the University of Arizona’s School of Music for Spring 2025. This prestigious award is granted to only one graduate student per semester and is voted on by an academic committee following a faculty nomination.

Her project Ritmos de mi Tierra earned first place at the 2024 Research Competition of the International Clarinet Association. Combining ethnographic research with performance, she interviewed elders from her hometown of Caloto, Cauca, commissioned five new works for clarinet from Colombian composers inspired by local musical traditions, and released an album through Soundset Recordings. Her research was also published in The Clarinet, an international journal.

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After completing three master’s degrees in Illinois, focusing on pedagogy, clarinet performance, and music theory and composition, Gloria was accepted into the Doctor of Musical Arts program in Clarinet Performance at the University of Arizona, thanks to the University Fellows Award, a competitive and prestigious scholarship granted to incoming graduate students with exceptional academic and professional merit.

"During my four years of doctoral studies, and thanks in large part to the mentorship of my clarinet professor, Dr. Jackie Glazier, I had the opportunity to meet inspiring people and represent Colombia on stages across the United States and other countries. A special moment was being invited as a guest artist at the Fernando Botero exhibition in Phoenix, Arizona, in December 2023," Gloria shares proudly.

In line with her academic path, toward the end of her studies at the University of Arizona, Gloria developed her doctoral research project Ritmos de mi Tierra, in which she collected oral histories and cultural memories from her hometown of Caloto, in the department of Cauca. "I gathered this information through interviews with elders, musicians, historians, and other knowledge holders, including one of Caloto’s historical archives. This research allowed me to delve into the cultural richness of Caloto and our beautiful traditions."

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As part of the project, she commissioned works from five Colombian composers: Luis Carlos Erazo Gómez, María Alejandra García Guzmán, Edwin Guevara Gutiérrez, Mauricio Murcia Bedoya, and Natalia Trujillo, asking them to create new compositions for solo clarinet and clarinet-guitar duos inspired by these traditions.

These commissioned works, along with one piece composed by Gloria herself, were recorded on the album Ritmos de mi Tierra, performed by Ana María Iordache and Nico Barberán on guitar, and Gloria Orozco Dorado on clarinet. The album was recorded at the University of Arizona in 2024 and published by Soundset Recordings. It is now available on all major digital platforms.

Thanks to this research, the commissioned compositions, and the recording, Gloria was awarded first place in the International Clarinet Association’s Research Competition held in Dublin, Ireland, in 2024. She also earned second place in the festival’s Orchestral Solo Competition.

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"I proudly come from Caloto, a place I carry in my heart and in my essence. I began my musical path at the age of three, thanks to the discipline and love for the arts that my parents instilled in us daily. With great dedication, they took us from Caloto to Cali for lessons at the Antonio María Valencia Conservatory. I started playing the clarinet thanks to Professor Jonás Quijano Valencia, who passionately led Caloto’s Symphonic Band. Years later, it was Dr. Andrés Ramírez Villarraga at the University of Cauca who taught me how the clarinet relates to life itself and the importance of authenticity,” the alumna states.

She adds that it has been a journey filled with challenges, but one she has been fortunate to walk with great companionship. “Every person I’ve met in my life has left a mark that has strengthened me and taken me further. I am deeply proud to be from Caloto, to be Colombian, and very grateful to have studied at the University of Cauca. Thanks to Professor Magliony Márquez for making this public recognition possible.”

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Gloria is known for her mastery of contemporary clarinet techniques such as circular breathing, multiphonics, and singing while playing. Her performances are admired for their expressive power and technical brilliance. She has been invited to perform at ClarinetFest in Reno, Denver, and Dublin; won the University of Arizona President’s Competition in 2022; and took second place in the ICA Orchestral Competition.

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She regularly performs with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and has toured and taught in the United States and Latin America, including educational activities focused on peacebuilding in Colombia. She has served as a University Fellow, Medici Scholar, graduate teaching assistant, and even as lead instructor of the clarinet studio during faculty absences, building a culture of inclusion and excellence. Her peers admire her confidence, technical command, and versatility across genres and performance contexts.

 

Written by: Communications Management Center