Jorge received his Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting from the National University of Colombia mentored by Guerassim Voronkov and is pursuing the Artist Diploma in Orchestral Conducting at Lamont School of Music in Denver University mentored by Lawrence Golan.
Jorge reached the semifinal round in the Cadaqués International Conducting Competition 2010, won the best conductor prize in the VI International Choir Festival in Santander and obtained a silver medal in the Seventh World Choir Games in Cincinnati U.S. with “Corpas chamber choir” in the champion’s competition category.
Jorge is headmaster of conducting studies, and principal conductor of the symphony orchestra and choir at Corpas University in Bogotá since 2003. As composer, arranger, pianist and choral-symphonic conductor, he was selected artistic director of the Orchestral and Choral Corporation of Colombia since 2004 to 2013. He was the artistic coordinator for the “America Cantat” International Choral Festival 2013 conducting its opening concert with the premiere of the “Cantata America” composed by José Buenagu, and “Canción por la Esperanza” a piece for mixed and children choir, large orchestra and soloists of its own authorship.
Recently he attended the International Conducting Masterclass with Guerassim Voronkov and the Saint Petersburg Symphony Orchestra in Russia.
As a guest conductor he has worked with several orchestras: Montclair State University Symphony Orchestra, Tomsk Philharmonic Orchestra (Russia), Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra, Colombia Symphony Orchestra, Antioquia Symphony Orchestra, EAFIT Symphony Orchestra, Medellín Youth Symphony Orchestra, Tolima’s Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Cali Philharmonic Orchestra, University of Concepción Symphony Orchestra (Chile), and Salta Symphony Orchestra (Argentina).
He studied music theory with Jorge Zorro, piano with Pilar Leyva and orchestral conducting with Luis Eduardo Vargas, Guerassim Voronkov, and Markand Thakar; He has attended workshops and master classes with Gustavo Dudamel, Helmuth Rilling, María Guinand, Alberto Grau, Simon Carrington, Luis Gorelik, Andrés Orozco, among others.
As a composer, he won the First Prize in Choral Composition OFB contest for two consecutive years (2014–2015) and the honorific mention in the Ministry of Culture national contest composition for choir and chamber ensemble 2016 with his piece “El Renacuajo Paseador”. His works have been performed by the most important choirs in Colombia and he regularly writes for several vocal ensembles around the country. His piece “Rhapsody for clarinet and piano” was recorded by the renowned duo Debussy in 2013 in the music album “Contrastes” that collects representative musical works of modern Colombian composers. Maestro Salazar has a special interest in the popular music of his region and combines in his compositions Colombian and Latin-American rhythms with the academic language.