At the age of two Orlando Otey was placed at the piano by his mother. It was 1927 and she had always hoped to have a son who would become a concert pianist. This young pianist went on to give his first concert at the age of four at the Teatro Iris¹ in his native Mexico City. 

By the age of five he had toured Mexico and by seven he had toured Europe. He also began composing at an early age, and when he was just 14 he composed his first piano concerto, already having completed a list of other compositions.  In 1940 at the age of 15 while on tour in Mexico giving programs of his own compositions that included several mazurkas, nocturnes and etudes, Otey was heralded as The Chopin of Mexico by critics and listeners.  Not only was his playing of Romantic music remarkable, his own works were taken by many to be compositions of Chopin, some critics quipping they were works that Chopin forgot to write.

Aside from performing throughout his teen years Otey became a faculty member at the University of Mexico School of Music by age 17. He thereafter came to the U.S. and pursued piano and composition studies at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 1945.  Otey studied with Gian-Carlo Menotti and Vladimir Sokoloff.

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The Chopin of Mexico Plays Chopin - Volume 1 Ionian Productions released this CD in September 2007  and has received accolades, such as: “Orlando Otey's CD is a performance of beauty and sensitivity. His playing is that of a true artist” - Toshiya Eto, Master Violinist  “...Otey has maintained a fluent technique as an octogenarian, like Vladimir Horowitz and Arthur Rubinstein”  - Andrew Quint, Philadelphia Music Makers Magazine, Sept 2008 Issue

¹ - Teatro Iris was built upon the site of the majestic Mayorazgo de Villanueva Palace in 1912. The theatre is just a few blocks away from the Teatro Lírico. The neo-classical façade matches the appearance of its neighbor, the old Cámara de Diputados or House of Representatives. However, the interior is more aptly described as Art Noveau, in harmony with the belle époque of the early twentieth century in Mexico. In 1917, the successful Tabasco artist Esperanza Iris bought the venue. On her death, it passed into the hands of the city's municipal authorities.