Here's yet another El Pasoan making an incredible mark on the world.

Claudio Ordaz was born in Juarez to Moises Ordaz, founder and conductor of the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua’s symphony orchestra.

As a child, he studied under the legendary, Maestro Abraham Chavez. As an adult, Ordaz attended UTEP and fell in love with El Paso. He told the EP Times:

“I always say I’m an El Pasoan.” “I remember the sun, the mountains guarding the city with those incredible colors and the warmth of the El Paso people. All of that stayed with me. I had the opportunity to be part of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra. I had the most extraordinary, life-changing experiences there and I’m very proud to be a Miner.”

Chavez advised Ordaz to move to Europe and, in 2001, he began conducting at the Prague Conservatory of Music. After earning a doctorate in Estonia, while conducting at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, he accepted a teaching position in Finland. There, he established the Savonlinna Camerata, becoming the first Mexican ever to found an orchestra in Europe.

The musical talent in El Paso never ceases to amaze me!

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