GONZALO ALONSO RAMOS
Biography
A Houston native, Gonzalo A Ramos holds a Masters in Sacred Music from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor in Music from the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston. In addition, Gonzalo holds a Minor in Marketing and Business from the Bauer School of Business at the University of Houston. Mr. Ramos is the Artistic Director of Houston Cecilia Chamber Choir, serves as Artistic Director for the Bravura Concert Series, and is the Director of Music and Liturgy at All Saints Catholic Church in the Heights, Houston, TX. Mr. Ramos serves on the National Pastoral Musicians Galveston-Houston Chapter Executive Board, serves on the Hispanic Pastoral Musicians Conference Houston Chapter Executive Board, serves on Catholic Literary Arts Board of Directors, is the current Director of Marketing for Catholic Literary Arts, and is the Director of Hispanic Division for Simply Liturgical.
Recently, Mr. Ramos has prepared and conducted Houston Cecilia Chamber Choir in John Rutter’s Requiem, Gabriel Faure’s Requiem, Ola Gjeilo's Sunrise Mass, Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, and through a diversity of choral repertoire.
In June of 2024, Mr. Ramos led and conducted an ecumenical choir of 150 + choristers and a professional orchestra through John Rutter's Requiem during the Summer Sacred Choral Festival. Choir members of all denominations came together for a weekend of fellowship and rehearsals to prepare John Rutter's Requiem.
In 2022, Mr. Ramos was commissioned to set music to the premiere of the Polish Christmas Comedy in two acts, Right Angles, written by Fr. Nicholas Divine C.P. His recent choral works include Remember (Memorare) commissioned by the The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem for the Southwestern Lieutenancy of the United States of America. During an Italian pilgrimage, the Archdiocesan Choir of Galveston-Houston performed in a number of sacred spaces in Rome and the Vatican, including The Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola near the Pantheon where the choir performed Mr. Ramos' Ave Verum Corpus. His choral work Pax shared its international premiere at La Rochelle, France in June of 2017. In October 2019, Houston Cecilia Chamber Choir premiered O Nome Glorioso. His Ave Maria for solo voice was premiered by Angelo Ferrari in April of 2016 and continues to be performed to date. Mr. Ramos continues to write music for choral ensembles, solo voice, and instrumental ensembles.
In October of 2005, Mr. Ramos made his music composition debut with the Foundation of Modern Music in Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center. In August of 2019, Gonzalo was a recipient of the 2019 Motif Awards for Humanity and Fine Arts. The Motif Awards showcase young music professionals that have made strategic and deliberate efforts to exceed the limits beyond the world of many challenges. In conjunction with his continuous community efforts, Mr. Ramos received the award on behalf of Houston Cecilia Chamber Choir.
In 2008 Gonzalo was awarded the International Study Program for Globalization Scholarship for studies in Salzburg, Austria’s Schloss Leopoldskron.
Mr. Ramos worked as Assistant Music Director and Assistant Accompanist at HCC Central campus for musical productions under the direction of Kathleen Knight. Musical productions include Camelot, The World Goes Round, Tin Types, All Roads Lead to Oz, The 1940's Radio Hour, Smokey Joes Cafe, Gershwin and Friend's, School House Rock, I love you're perfect, now change!, West Side Story: concert production, Baby, and more.
Mr. Ramos resides in the greater Houston area and appears as a tenor soloist for a diverse range of engagements; recently Ralph Vaughn Williams' Serenade to Music, Bach's Magnificat, Howard Goodall’s Requiem, and Mozart’s Missa Brevis. Mr. Ramos currently cantors for the Catholic community of Houston including Chrism Mass, Ordination to Priesthood, Ordination to the Diaconate, 25th Silver Jubilee Mass, and the 50th Golden Jubilee Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Mr. Ramos sat on the 2018-2019 Southwest Liturgical Conference Committee and assists in leading music formation workshops for the Diocese in and outside of the greater Houston area.
About Credo Sacred Vocal Ensemble
Inspired by the beauty of the sacred arts, CREDO seeks to engage and collaborate with experienced volunteer and professional musicians to develop, maintain, and create awareness of the sacred arts in Houston. CREDO looks to expand through diverse works from around the world, its elements and repertoire that support the ever growing uniqueness of early to modern music in continuing the divine spark that is artistic vocation.