Juan Ruiz

Composer and clarinetist Juan Ruiz (b. 1985) began his musical studies when he was 11, studying Latin American percussion in his hometown of Caldas Antioquia, Colombia. At 14, he began clarinet studies with Elizabeth Isaza at the University of Antioquia?s preparatory music school. He left Colombia in 2006 with a scholarship to study English and music at Atlantic Union College. After one year he transferred to the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA, where he was awarded a full scholarship to study clarinet performance and composition. Juan combines his Latin roots and classical training in his original compositions as well. He approaches music with a spirit of curiosity, and his compositions are informed by his childhood experiences, his home country, and the optimism he perceives among Colombians.