The Chilan choral conductor and music pedagogue, Hugo Muñoz, began his career as a choral conductor in 1962 as director of the Coro Polifónico Municipal de Valdivia. Later he began his university studies in Santiago where he directed the Coro de la Papelera de Puente Alto and the Colegio Saint George- Santiago College. He returned to Valdivia in 1972 to assume the direction of the Coro de la Universidad Técnica del Estado from which he was exonerated in September 1973. He also directed the Coro del Instituto Alemán "Carlos Andwanter". In 1974 he was appointed director of the Coro Universidad Austral de Chile (Coro UACh), a position that he held until 2018.
In his career, Hugo Muñoz has received national and local recognition not only for his musical career but also for his work as manager of various cultural institutions at the international, national and regional levels. Among them are the Premio Municipal de Extensión Artística, from the Municipalidad de Valdivia (1980); Premio Encina, from the Grupo Cámara Chile-Mario Baeza (1979-1980); Outstanding musician from the Región de Los Lagos, delivered by the Regional Government (1999); Distinguished Personality in the Field of Culture, recognition made by journalists from the Diarioaustral de Los Ríos (2002); Medal of Choral Merit, from the Consejo Chileno de la Música-UNESCO (2005); Distinction for Choral Merit, from the la Federación Nacional de Coros de Chile (2006), which is the highest distinction awarded to a Chilean conductor by his peers; Premio Municipal de Arte, from the Municipality of Valdivia (2010); and Outstanding Person of Culture, recognition made by the readers of the Diarioaustral Región de los Ríos. |