Gabriela Ortiz
Composer
Gabriela Ortiz, one of the most successful voices in contemporary music, comes from Mexico – her parents were members of the popular music group Los Folkloristas. When, at the age of 13, she heard Béla Bartók for the first time, she decided to become a composer. She went on to study in Paris, then under Mario Lavista, a pupil of Stockhausen, in Mexico City, and finally completed her PhD under Simon Emmerson at City University London.
Ortiz has received numerous awards and now teaches composition herself at the University of Mexico. Her music captivates with its fascinating rhythmic drive and great tonal sensitivity. Drawing on influences from South and Central American folklore, she champions wider recognition of the aesthetic diversity of her homeland’s music. Her works also shed light on social injustices. She received three Grammy Awards for her ballet Revolución diamantina, which Gustavo Dudamel performed in concert with the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2026.
