Born into a family of musicians in Mexico City, her parents were founding members of Los Folkloristas, a renowned ensemble dedicated to performing Latin American folk music. While playing the charango and guitar with her parents’ group, she also studied classical piano. She began her formal studies with the prestigious Mexican composers Mario Lavista, Federico Ibarra, and Daniel Catán. Later, she continued her studies in Europe, where she earned a Master’s degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under the tutelage of Robert Saxton and a doctorate in composition and electronic music from City University of London under the tutelage of Simon Emmerson.
Ortiz’s music incorporates seemingly disparate musical worlds, from traditional and popular languages to avant-garde techniques and multimedia works. This is perhaps the most striking characteristic of her work: a fusion of distinct sonic worlds. Although Ortiz continues to draw inspiration from Mexican themes, she is interested in composing music that resonates with international audiences. A milestone in her career came in 2025 when her album Revolución diamantina, recorded by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, won three Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary Classical Composition. This historic recognition cemented her status as one of the most prominent voices in contemporary music.
From large-scale works for orchestra and choir such as Yanga (2019), concertos like Fractalis (2022), politically charged operas like Only the Truth (2008), magical chamber pieces like Altar demuertos (1997), and intimate solo works like Canto a Hanna (2005), Ortiz’s music reveals a sophisticated compositional technique and meticulous attention to rhythm and timbre. Her work has been performed by prestigious orchestras and ensembles such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra.
Among Ortiz’s numerous awards are the 2022 Fine Arts Gold Medal and Mexico’s National Prize for Arts and Letters. Ortiz is currently composer-in-residence at Carnegie Hall, the Castilla y León Symphony Orchestra, and the Curtis Institute of Music. She also teaches composition at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Her music is published by Boosey & Hawkes.