About Ginka Ortega
Ginka Gerova Ortega Biography
Born in Preslav, Bulgaria flutist Ortega began her musical training on the piano at the age of seven, only to discover later that the flute is her true voice. As a first prize winner of “International Artists Competition”, Bulgaria, she continued her musical career in the United States as a grant winner at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory, Wayne State University and University of Michigan School of Music. Her teachers and mentors Moyse and Rampal have been her greatest inspiration and influence. Ortega's teaching affiliations, residencies and master classes include Oberlin Conservatory; Wayne State University; Cranbrook; Chandu Conservatory of Music, China; University of Michigan School of Music; Lahti Conservatory, Finland; Varna State School of Music, Bulgaria; The Muramatsu School, Tokyo; Conservatorio Superior de Barcelona, Spain.
For her passionate leadership and dedication to the Arts in Michigan and as member of The Women's International Forum, Ortega was voted “one of Michigan's most influential woman” by Corp Magazine. Awarded the title of “Michigan Musical Ambassador” by the Governor, the State of Michigan and The Sesquicentennial Commission, she represented the State of Michigan with a series of concerts throughout Japan performing as “The Michigan Duo”.
Ortega has performed for foreign dignitaries, royalties and government leaders on four continents, including the Nobel Prize “La Donna Del Mondo”, Italy, The International Council for Women, The United Nations and UNESCO. Ortega is the founder and Artistic Director of Musica Viva International Concerts, a leading cultural force in celebrating World's cultures through music, resenting outstanding Michigan and international talent, introducing young audiences to a wide variety of musical art forms and innovative programs with strong community collaborations. She is the founder of the “Annual Michigan Flute Festival” in Orchestra Hall that has brought over 1000 young flutists from all across Michigan performing together with world renowned flute masters, each showcasing their own traditional flutes from India, Peru, Egypt, apan, Bulgaria, China, Native America.
The N.Y. Times praised her “Mastery”; Japan Times, “Powerful, involving”; Opina, Mexico, “Tremendous, Captivating”; La Stampa, Italy, “Daring”.
Ginka Ortega is regarded as one of the most outstanding and diverse flutist of today with vast, innovative epertoire ranging from her strong Classical roots to World Music and Spanish Flamenco. Hailed as the “Faraona de la Flauta Flamenca” (The Grand Dame of Flamenco Flute) she is the only woman flutist performing the art of Spanish Flamenco with mesmerizing mastery and powerful trance like ‘duende’.
Since her much acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut, Bulgarian born Gerova- Ortega has enjoyed a busy international career performing worldwide with top artists, orchestras and ensembles including: The Moscow Virtuosi; The Guitar Trio of Paris; Orchestra de Guitarras de Barcelona; the Detroit Symphony; Cleveland Symphony; Atrium Musicae de Madrid; Trio Venetto; Sofia C h a m b e r O r c h e s t r a ; Camarata de Barcelona; the New American C h a m b e r O r c h e s t r a .
Musical collaborations include such luminaries as her late teacher Jean Pierre Rampal, flamenco master guitarist Juan Serrano (music for Woody Allen's movie Viki, Cristina Barcelona); New Zealand's bass virtuoso 2001 rammy Award winner, Mat Fields; Canadian composer/jazz pianist and Grammy nominee, Matt Herskowitz; prize winner
pianist, Pavlina Dokovska; flutist, Claudi Arimani; guitar masters, Bitetti; Barrueco, Zanon, Sergi Vicente, Carlos
Barbosa Lima, Thedosii Spassov; soprano, Gena Dimitrova; Dame Maria Del Carmen; Amaya Flamenco; Susana Baca. Audiences in Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Mexico City, Beijing, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Helsinki, Stokholm, Sofia, Toronto, New York, and Madrid have been moved by her captivating programs, bold virtuosity and poetic musicality. Wide media coverage includes the National Geographic, CBS, Good Morning America, Radiotele Spain, PBS, Univision, Telemundo, NHK Japan, Asiarts China, RAI Italy, La Donna Del Mondo Nobel Prize, Rome, The New York Times.
Ortega has created original scores for documentary films (“The Masters of Calligraphy”, “Castles of Spain”, “The Tracian Gold”, various TV commercials, (including the Detroit Institute of Arts), soundscapes and live arts with vast discography on Balkanton, Sony Latin, GIJE labels, ranging from Classical to World Music, Flamenco and Jazz Fusion. Awarded the title of Michigan Musical Ambassador and Arts Award by the State of Michigan, she is a soloist with the Michigan Touring Arts, Arts Midwest and is the Artistic Director of Musica Viva International Concerts.
Programs
All major repertoire for SOLO FLUTE with orchestras/ chamber ensembles
From opulent Baroque to the music of De Falla ,Piazzolla, Biser, Serrano, Granados- a sampler of the greatest music written for flute /guitar
Exploring the fascinating rhythms and beauty of Eastern European classical music traditions for flute/piano by Karastoyanov, Vladigerov, Prokofiev, Bartok, Szeligowski
A sampler of the great romantic style in the sonatas for flute and piano by Schubert, Reineke, Donizzetti, Boehm,Kohller
From the colors and moods of French impressionism to contemporary music and classical jazz for flute/piano. Debussy, Roussel, Messiaen, Varese, Bolling
Exploring the exciting , cutting edge sounds of the 20th century music for flute/piano by Berio, Howrani,Varese, Concentino, Piazzolla, Viladesau, di Lorenzo
The colorful and passionate music of Spain ,Latin America, AfroCuba for flute and trio/quartet
Premiered at the Cranbrook Art Museum and acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, Ortega has created an original multimedia fusion of contemporary music ranging from the whimsical to the most powerful... set to the sound properties of the metal sculptures of much acclaimed sculptor NANI "A sound experience like you have never heard before ,“as if exploring deep into one's own self.”
"Back by popular demand " for over four years this spectacular Flamenco Jazz show has become a showcase for the mesmerizing possibilities of Ortega's flamenco flute, in a colorful fusion with jazz piano improvisations, afro latin rhythms, dancers and musicians .
N.Y. Times best selling author and spiritual leader, Marianne Williamson, teams up with flutist, Ortega, creating a poetic reading/meditation to Ortega’s original set of music filled with spiritual riches and mysticism.
Brouchures
CORTS PRODUCTIONS
INTERNATIONAL SPAIN
For direct information:
E-mail - ginkaflutist@cs.com