Santiago Baena Florez | Music and Spanish Teacher
Santiago has enjoyed an international performance and teaching career. Baena started his music studies at the school of music of his hometown La Ceja, Antioquia, Colombia, where served as principal clarinet and woodwind instructor. Also, Mr Baena was member of the Universidad de Antioquia Wind Ensemble, Medellin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Latin America Wind Ensemble (Manizales, Colombia), International Youth Wind Orchestra (Cincinnati, Ohio), Lone Star Wind Ensemble (Dallas, Texas), Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, Lubbock Orchestra Woodwind quintet, and others. As a teaching artist, Baena Flórez has taught masterclasses and teaches lessons internationally in the U.S and Colombia with special emphasis on fundamentals of clarinet performance for developing musicians. He has taught in Colombia at the Escuela de Formación in La Ceja, Antioquia as woodwind instructor and at the Universidad de Antioquia in El Carmen de Viboral as a Professor of Clarinet. He also has taught at the Conservatory Lab Charter School of Music as woodwind artist resident and as Clarinet teaching assistant at Texas Tech University. Mr. Baena currently maintains a private studio in the area of Maine and New Hampshire.
Baena Flórez holds a DMA in Clarinet Performance from Texas Tech University, holds a Masters of Music in Clarinet Performance from Longy School of Music and Bard College, and a Bachelors in Clarinet Performance from the Universidad de Antioquia in Medellin, Colombia.
Santiago lives in Kittery, Maine with his wife Molly and their dog Parchao.