The talented graduate of the Instrumental Music program, Natalia Cristina Mesa Pérez, has performed with the Duquesne University Symphony Orchestra (United States) and the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia.

Natalia Cristina Mesa Pérez, who graduated in 2023 from the Instrumental Music program at the University of Cauca, has stood out as a solo clarinetist from a very young age. This year, she won the New York International Music Competition Online – 2025. She has also distinguished herself through her performances with the Duquesne University Symphony Orchestra (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia.

In 2018, she was selected along with other students from the Department of Music at the University of Cauca to participate in the Santa Catarina Music Festival (Brazil). In 2021, while in her fifth semester, she was invited as a clarinetist to the 5th UDLAP Symphonic Bands Meeting in Mexico, which brought together advanced musicians from both national and international backgrounds.

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Under the guidance of Professor Magliony Márquez, the talented graduate won the Young Soloists Competition of the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia in 2024, establishing herself as one of the country’s most promising emerging performers. That same year, she was awarded a full scholarship to pursue a Master’s in Clarinet Performance at Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, United States) under the mentorship of Maestro Ronald Samuels. There, she also won the DSO Concerto Competition in 2025, which allowed her to perform as a soloist with the university’s orchestra.

This year, she was awarded First Prize in the Advanced Category at the New York International Music Competition Online – 2025.

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Natalia Cristina Mesa Pérez continues to perform on international stages, earning recognition for her interpretation of works from the contemporary repertoire. Among these, she has stood out for her performance of the Concerto No. 3 for Clarinet in Bb/Eb and Orchestra by Spanish composer Óscar Navarro, which she has performed three times, twice alongside symphony orchestras (Duquesne University Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia).

 

Written by: Communications Management Center