Gabriela Ortiz Named 2026 Classical Woman of the Year by Performance Today
Awarded by Performance Today, Ortiz was selected for her contributions to and inspiring impact on the classical music industry.
Gabriela Ortiz has been named the 2026 Classical Woman of the Year by Performance Today, a leading national radio program produced by YourClassical. The annual honor recognizes women who have made significant contributions to classical music and serve as an inspiration to audiences and the wider industry.
The award comes at a moment of international recognition for Ortiz. In 2025 and 2026, she received four Grammy Awards for her portrait albums Revolución diamantina and Yanga, recorded by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel. These included back-to-back wins for Best Contemporary Classical Composition—making Ortiz the first composer in Grammy history to receive the award in consecutive years.
Announcing the award, host Valerie Kahler praised the vivid, immersive quality of Ortiz’s music, describing works that “catapult us into the music,” shaped by the rhythms, landscapes, and cultural traditions of Mexico.
Born in Mexico City into a musical family—her parents were founding members of the ensemble Los Folkloristas—Ortiz studied with leading Mexican composers before continuing her training in London at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and City University. Her music has since been performed by major orchestras worldwide, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, New York Philharmonic, and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
Alongside her compositional work, Ortiz has maintained a strong commitment to education, teaching at Mexico’s National Autonomous University and working with young composers internationally. She currently holds high-profile residencies with the Concertgebouw, the Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Palau de la Música Catalana.
Responding to the award, Ortiz emphasized its broader cultural significance: “I am deeply honored to receive this distinction from Performance Today. As a Mexican composer, this recognition carries a very special meaning for me, as it helps open much-needed doors for Latin American music on the global stage. It also reaffirms the vital importance of diversity in the arts, and of art itself as a form of communication deeply engaged with our time and our environment. To be recognized alongside an artist as remarkable as Jessie Montgomery is truly meaningful. I accept this with gratitude and humility, and as an encouragement to continue creating music that reflects our shared humanity and the richness of our diverse cultural voices.”
Ortiz will be featured on the March 30 broadcast of Performance Today, which includes an interview reflecting on her career and recent achievements.
Learn more about the Classical Woman of the Year and listen to past interviews with Classical Women of the Year by at yourclassical.org.
Photo: Mara Arteaga