William Ortiz, PhD is a composer and retired full professor of music and humanities at the University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón.
TOA ALTA, PUERTO RICO, September 12, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present William Ortiz, PhD, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Ortiz celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
A composer and retired full professor of music and humanities at the University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón since 2017, Dr. Ortiz has also served as the director of the university concert band for 30 years. Furthermore, Dr. Ortiz has been the director of the music section for one of Puerto Rico's chief cultural institutions, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, also known as the Puerto Rican Athenaeum, since 2006.
Prior to joining the faculty at the university, Dr. Ortiz was assistant director at Black Mountain College II in Buffalo, N.Y. and a consultant/auditor for the New York State Arts Council in New York City. He also had a band, with whom he had spent a short time recording with Columbia Records in New York City while additionally performing background singing/vocals.
Composing more than 150 musical works in every form and genre during his musical career, Dr. Ortiz composed Trilogía Jabao in 2014. A guest composer multiple times as well, he has made appearances at such events as the Festival Musica Nova in Sao Paulo, Brazil and the Festival Latinoamericano de Musica in Caracas, Venezuela. More recently, he performed at the premiere of his percussion concerto, Música con Calle, at Fredonia University in upstate New York in 2017. For Dr. Ortiz, this concert was a milestone because it was a piece that he wrote many years ago yet had never been publicly performed.
Receiving a Grammy Award nomination in 2001, Dr. Ortiz has also been the recipient of multiple grants over the years. He has also received several awards, including a UNESCO Recognition for Music Composition in 2015. He maintains membership with the American Composers Alliance, the American Music Center, and the College Music Society. He is a former member of the Asociación de Compositores Puertorriqueños. Likewise, Dr. Ortiz is the former president of the Composers Alliance of Buffalo.
Born in Salinas, Puerto Rico, Dr. Ortiz learned to play the guitar as a young child by performing by ear. By the time he reached college, he had begun to take music much more seriously. Ultimately going into education for practical reasons, Dr. Ortiz has been writing poems and composing music and popular music songs ever since.
Dr. Ortiz earned a Bachelor of Music from the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music. Following this accomplishment, he obtained a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy in composition from the State University of New York. Married to Candida Rodriguez since 1988 with three children, Dr. Ortiz has been cited in every edition of Who's Who in America since 1999, as well as several more editions of Who's Who in Entertainment and Who's Who in the World.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, William Ortiz, PhD, has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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