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The Colombian choral conductor and music teacher, Paula Andrea Torres Ayala, began her piano studies at a young age. She studied music at Universidad Javeriana and the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, and has lived in Chile since 2000. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Music Theory (May 2001), her Postgraduate Diploma in Choral Conducting (2000-2002), and her Master's degree in Orchestral Conducting from the Universidad de Chile (2017-2019). She later obtained her Master's degree in Classical Choir Conducting from HKU (Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht) in the Netherlands (June 2024). She has studied with Maestros David del Pino Klinge, Nicolas Rauss, and Eduardo Brown (Orchestral Conducting) and…
Paula Torres' choral artistic experience includes concerts leading various ensembles from Chile, Argentina, and Colombia, in venues throughout South America and Europe. She is the principal conductor of prominent Chilean groups such as the Ensamble Res Nova (2002-2012), Coro de Cámara de la Universidad Alberto Hurtado (March 2010-June 2016), and Ensemble Ikaros (2016-2020) and Coro Nuevo Mundo del Teatro Municipal de Rancagua. She has been a guest conductor with the Coro Bellas Artes (Chile; 2007-2009), Coro Nacional de Jóvenes (Argentina; July 2014), Coro de la Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), Ensamble Femme Vocal, and other groups. In the Netherlands, she has conducted Quasi Niente Kamerkoor in Utrecht (since October 2023); Huygens Vocaal Ensemble in Hattem, Gelderland (since January 2024); Leiden English Choir (since January 2024).
As an orchestral conductor, Paula Torres has served as principal conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de Coquimbo, part of the Fundación de Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles del Gobierno de Chile (2018-2019), and has been invited to conduct other ensembles, both university and professional.
Alongside her artistic career, Paula Torres has developed a distinguished teaching career spanning more than fifteen years, working with undergraduate, graduate, and diploma programs at leading higher education institutions, such as the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (March 2003-February 2024), Universidad de Chile (October 2019-March 2022), and Universidad Alberto Hurtado. She specializes in the fundamental subjects of Reading, Aural Training, and Functional Piano for undergraduate students; Choral Practice for students of different levels and specializations; and Choral Conducting for undergraduate and graduate students. Since September 2025, she is Music Teacher at Utrecht School of the Arts, teaching Choral Conducting, Music Theory, Orchestral Conducting, Vocal Coaching. |
