Clarinetist Gloria Orozco Dorado, originally from Colombia, has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and internationally in Colombia, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Ireland. Gloria won first place in the ICA Research Competition for her presentation of Ritmos de mi Tierra (Rhythms of my Land) and second place in the Orchestral Audition Competition at ClarinetFest® 2024. A founding member of both Q’iru Duet and ClarINÉS Cuarteto de Clarinetes, Gloria created the Soplan Vientos de Paz project in 2016, where she teaches music and raises funds through scholarships and awards to donate musical resources to young people in violence-affected areas of her home region, Cauca, Colombia, as well as in isolated regions of the Colombian and Brazilian Amazon. As of November 2024, Gloria is in her final year of doctoral studies at the University of Arizona, where she studies under Dr. Jackie Glazier with the support of the University Fellows Award, “a prestigious fellowship offered only to UArizona's highest-ranked incoming graduate students.” www.gloriaod.com

Nico Barberan is a versatile guitarist from Chile, blending blues, rock, and Latin rhythms with classical influences. After studying music in Santiago and performing with bands like Shabakano, he moved to Chicago to pursue blues, later earning a master’s degree in classical guitar pedagogy. Now based in Arizona, Nico has gained recognition from the Blues Phoenix Society and was a finalist at the Tucson Folk Festival. His latest album, Away Blues, showcases his unique Blues Rock style. As a founding member of Qiru Duet, Nico shares the richness of Latin American music on international stages.

Romanian guitarist Ana Maria Iordache holds a Bachelor's degree from the National University of Music in Bucharest and a Cum Laude Master’s degree from the University of Alicante, Spain. Currently pursuing a Doctorate degree at the University of Arizona, she studies under Tom Patterson and artists in residence David Russell, Sergio, and Odair Assad. Ana Maria has won multiple international awards, including 1st prize at the “Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Madrid.” She has performed on major stages in Europe, the U.S., and Colombia, and released her debut album Reverie in 2017.

Ritmos de mi Tierra (Rhythms of my Land) is an anthropological and ethnomusicological project focused on preserving and promoting the music, traditions, and rhythms of Caloto, Colombia, a region shaped by a blend of indigenous, Afro-Colombian, and Mestizo cultures. The project involved engaging with and documenting diverse musical groups and cultural expressions in Caloto. Gloria Orozco Dorado compiled this information into a text summarizing sixteen traditions, stories, and musical ensembles, complete with photos and videos. This document was shared with five Colombian composers—Luis Carlos Erazo Gómez, Maria Alejandra García Guzmán, Edwin Guevara Gutiérrez, Mauricio Murcia Bedoya, and Natalia Trujillo Arbeláez—as a foundation and source of inspiration for new musical compositions created specifically for this project. The mission of this research is to preserve and share Caloto’s cultural heritage globally. The commissioned compositions were recorded and mastered by engineer Wiley Ross and interns from the Spring 2024 semester at the University of Arizona’s studio, while Gloria’s own work was produced by Gloria Orozco Dorado at GNA Music. All of these pieces are featured on this album.