Gema Ornelas

Bachelor of Arts in Music

Born and raised in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, Gema Ornelas began her guitar
studies at 9 years old when she was enrolled in the Centro de Iniciación Musical
para Niños (CIMI), a music academy for children that offered classical guitar.
She took guitar and music lessons there before auditioning and getting
accepted at the Facultad de Music de la Universidad Veracruzana in Veracruz
for early professional music development.

Gema became Adam Holzman’s private student when she moved to Texas in
2017. After spending multiple summers at the Brevard Music Festival and
studying guitar at the University of Texas at Austin (UT) with Adam Holzman, she
graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music in the spring of 2024. Gema is now a
part of Dr. Robert Duke’s Music and Human Learning program at UT and is
pursuing a postgraduate degree.

Besides teaching and studying, Gema is involved in the classical guitar
community in Austin, Texas, by forming part of the Austin Classical Guitar
Chamber Ensemble and participating in Austin Classical Guitar seasonal
concerts.
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Gema makes every lesson an opportunity in which students are able to apply
their musical knowledge and demonstrate the skills that they continue to
develop on the guitar. She also fosters a productive and safe environment in
which students are able to voice their opinions and thoughts about music.