Carmen Ramirez is a young conductor and recent graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she received her Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting. Carmen received her Bachelors degrees at The University of Arkansas - Little Rock in Music Theory and Spanish. Carmen grew up in Columbia, Missouri after immigrating to the United States from Guatemala at a young age. She grew up singing in school and honors choirs, learning piano privately and playing cello in school orchestras. In 2022, she traveled to Guatemala to investigate the music of composer Jesús Castillo, later presenting her research in the UALR Creative Works Expo where she received third place in Humanities. Carmen has performed in London and New York City, and has assisted several choirs in Missouri and Arkansas as a director, teaching assistant, and piano accompanist. She is currently based out of Wilmington, Delaware working with the Wilmington Children’s Chorus for the 2025-2026 season.