About the Director

Lydia Mills grew up in a family of folk musicians and a community rich in musical culture. At age eighteen, with guitar in hand, she traveled for the first time to Latin America to pursue studies of traditional and regional music. Since then, she has lived in Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru and Chile, bringing regional music straight back into the classroom and onto the stage. Lydia has performed solo and with several ensembles over the years, including, at present, Altipampa. In addition to teaching Los Mapaches, she provides music instruction at School of the Madeline, and leads workshops on incorporating Spanish music into the classroom curriculum.