Conversations with Camilo Tellez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Camilo Tellez.

Hi Camilo, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started playing the violin when I was five years old and the piano when I was six, with my grandmother. It was later that I decided to pursue music as my life’s career.

I moved to the United States to earn my master’s degrees in orchestral conducting at Indiana University and the University of Miami. During my studies, I had the opportunity to travel to Europe to participate in workshops and masterclasses.

While I was at the University of Miami, I also had the opportunity to conduct professionally throughout Florida, including performances in Naples, St. Petersburg, and Miami. It was a wonderful place to live because it allowed me to grow both personally and professionally in a very supportive environment.

Toward the end of my studies in Miami, I was offered a position with the LA Phil—an opportunity I had always dreamed of. I worked as an assistant to Gustavo Dudamel, someone I had admired since I began studying orchestral conducting at the age of seventeen. It was a truly magnificent experience because I not only learned from him but also had the privilege of working with one of the most prestigious orchestras in the United States.

That period was an incredible time of learning and professional growth. After my fellowship, I had the opportunity to conduct in China and Italy, and eventually I was appointed to a position at the prestigious Colburn School in Los Angeles.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has never been smooth. I have faced many challenges, not only professionally but also with my immigration status. This is something that many people in the United States do not fully understand. Over the years, I have held at least five different types of visas, and I lost many professional opportunities because of been an inmigrant.

After receiving an invitation to conduct the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra in 2023, I was able to save enough money to hire an immigration lawyer and begin a new visa process that would eventually allow me to continue building my career in the United States. I have always said that if music is not already competitive enough, international musicians face an additional challenge: first, you have to win a highly competitive position, and then you have to hope that the orchestra is willing and able to sponsor your immigration process or at least support it. In the end, everything worked out for me, but I remain very aware of how difficult that journey can be.

My career has had its ups and downs. More than once, I have had to redefine myself and start over just when I thought I had reached my peak. Looking back, it has been a remarkable journey of resilience, growth, and continuous learning. Every day I am grateful for the career I chose because music has the power to connect people in ways that few professions can. It creates a deep human connection that transcends language, culture, and background, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of that.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a professional orchestra conductor. I have the privilege of working with wonderful musicians and studying some of the greatest music ever written—the masterworks of Brahms, Beethoven, Mahler, and Bach. I am proud of being able to interact with people, to build community, and to find musicians and friends who discover meaning and purpose in the way we make music together.

I believe I am a person who deeply cares about people and deeply cares about music-making. I also think that my Latino background gives me a natural ability to connect with others and to express emotion. For us, it often feels easier to show how we feel, and in this field that becomes a great advantage.

Being able to study and communicate what I believe to be the composer’s intention, and then share that with the musicians in front of me, feels like a blessing. It is such a beautiful art—not necessarily to explain in words how the music makes you feel, but to express it through sound and to experience, together with others, what they feel as well. That shared experience is, to me, a truly sublime and unique art.

What matters most to you? Why?
I remember an artist manager once asked us: what is more important to you, music or people? It took me some time to find an answer because, in the end, there is no right or wrong response. But I do believe that music ultimately drives you to love people more deeply.

I see how sound can affect you so profoundly that it transcends where you come from, what you believe, your race, or any other label. For me, music must be done well because the people in front of you—and behind you—care deeply about it. It is a great responsibility, because in a way you are serving something much bigger than yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.camilotellez.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/