Gloria Orozco Dorado has been selected as the “Outstanding Graduate” by the University of Arizona School of Music for the 2025 spring semester.
Here’s a summary of Associate Professor Jackie Glazier’s nomination letter:
Gloria’s achievements in clarinet performance and research are extraordinary. Her project, Ritmos de mi Tierra (“Rhythms of My Land”), won the International Clarinet Association’s 2024 Research Competition in Dublin, Ireland. Combining ethnographic study and performance, she interviewed elders in her hometown of Caloto Cauca, Colombia, commissioned five new clarinet works from Columbian composers representing those musical traditions, and released an album on Soundset Records. Her research was also published in The Clarinet, an international journal.
Gloria excels in contemporary techniques—circular breathing, multiphonics, and singing while playing—and her performances are admired for their expressive power and technical mastery. She was invited to perform at ClarinetFest in Reno, Denver, and Dublin; won the University of Arizona’s 2022 President’s Competition; and placed second in the ICA’s Orchestral Competition.
She performs regularly with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and has toured and taught across the U.S. and Latin America, including peace-focused educational outreach in Colombia. Gloria served as a University Fellow, Medici Scholar, Graduate Teaching Assistant, and even as clarinet studio instructor during faculty leave—building a culture of inclusion and excellence. Her peers admire the confidence and mastery and her ability to play in many different genres and settings.
- Spring 2025 Graduation Convocation | May 18 | 2p | Centennial Hall
How would you describe your experience at the College of Fine Arts?
My time at the College of Fine Arts and the University of Arizona has been a great experience. From the start, I felt supported by both the faculty and my fellow classmates. The Latin American community here and the clarinet studio have been great supports, honestly, both of these communities rock! The environment here has helped me grow as a musician and as a person. Right from the beginning of my studies, I’ve had the chance to learn from amazing professors like Jackie Glazier and Meg Lota Brown, who have guided me in both music and life. It has also been incredibly rewarding to have met and learned from so many other professors, like Gabriela Ocádiz, Sara Fraker, José Luis Puerta, Esteban Hernández, and many others.
What’s your favorite memory or experience?
One of my favorite experiences has been meeting people from all around the world. Hearing their stories and learning about their cultures has helped me continue to realize and appreciate how much we all have to offer and how valuable each person is, no matter where they come from. It has been wonderful to have faculty who genuinely care about listening to their students’ stories and musical experiences from diverse backgrounds, and who believe that each one is important and deserves to be heard. I’ve felt supported, understood, and connected, and that makes everything feel easier and more joyful. I just feel really lucky to be part of it.
What experiences of leadership were impactful?
Developing and leading my doctoral creative project, Ritmos de mi Tierra (Rhythms of my Land). This project not only allowed me to take initiative as a researcher and performer, but also as a cultural ambassador. I interviewed community members, collected historical materials, and commissioned pieces from Colombian composers in my hometown. I coordinated all aspects of the album production, from the fieldwork to recording the music at the U of A’s studio with the help of the amazing Wiley Ross, to working with SoundSet Recordings for international distribution. Leading this project taught me how to manage an ethnomusicological research-based initiative, and the results were incredibly rewarding, I was awarded first place in the 2024 ClarinetFest Research Competition.
How did you get involved in community service?
I’ve stayed active in community service through projects like Soplan Vientos de Paz (Winds of Peace are Blowing). It’s a program I started in 2016 to bring music education and clarinet classes every summer to kids and teens in vulnerable areas of Cauca, Colombia. Another important part of my community work is performing with Q’iru Ensemble, made up of two students, a faculty member, and two local musicians. We perform traditional Latin American music that connects us to our roots and brings our community together.
What are your post-graduation plans?
I hope to keep doing what I love most, teaching and performing the clarinet. My dream is to become a clarinet professor at a university, where I can keep sharing my passion with students. I also want to continue performing with my Latin American group, Q’iru Ensemble, and keep growing my project Soplan Vientos de Paz, where I teach music to children and teens in Cauca, Colombia.
Spring 2025 Graduation Awards
- Aracely Rodriguez | School of Art | Outstanding Senior
- Ricardo Chavez | School of Art | Outstanding Graduate
- Nikki Martin | School of Dance | Outstanding Senior
- Kevan Sullivan | CFA / School of Dance | Outstanding Graduate
- Gloria Orozco Dorado | School of Music | Outstanding Graduate
- Dylan Cook | CFA / School of Music | Outstanding Senior
- Julia Franco | School of Theatre, Film & Television | Outstanding Senior