Originally from the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, Staff Sergeant Ruben Ortega joined the Soldiers’ Chorus in the fall of 2023. A devotion to music from an early age led Ruben to sing competitively and conduct choirs before entering college. Ruben has earned a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from East Carolina University and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Being a choir member has allowed Ruben to sing in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, the Washington National Cathedral, the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York and conduct the YouthCue Choral Ambassadors in St. Patrick’s Cathedral of Dublin, Ireland.