FESTIBA 2025 MARIACHI FESTIVAL SCHEDULE 

Friday, February 28
8:30 - 9:30am: Registration
9:30 - 10:00am: Presentation of Music with Mariachi Sol de de Mexico de Jose Hernandez and Mariachi Aztlán
10:00am - 12:00pm: Instrumental Workshops 
10:30 - 11:30am: Directors’ Masterclass 
12:00 - 1:00pm: Lunch on your own 
1:00 - 3:00pm: Instrumental Workshops 
1:30 - 2:30pm: Directors’ Masterclass 
3:30 - 5:30pm: FESTIBA 2024 Mariachi Festival Vocal Competition for Middle School and High School Semi-Finals (Tickets: $5 General Admission)
7:00 - 8:30pm: FESTIBA 2025 Mariachi Festival Concert 1
featuring Mariachi Aztlán with Middle School first place winner and five High School Vocal Competition Finalists. Winners announced at the end (Tickets: $10 General Admission; Workshop Registration includes free ticket to Concert 1)
Location:  UTRGV Edinburg Campus, Performing Arts Complex 
Tickets at UTRGV ARTS Showpass
 

Saturday, March 1 
9:30 - 11:30am: Middle School, JV and 4A Group Competition
12 - 4pm: 5A and 6A High School Group Competition.
Division winners and Grand Champion announced at the end.
7 - 9pm: FESTIBA 2025 Mariachi Festival Grand Concert: Middle and High School Vocal and Ensemble Competition winners, Mariachi Aztlán, and Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez

(Tickets: $5/10/20; Workshop Registration includes free ticket to Grand Concert)
Location:  UTRGV Edinburg Campus, Performing Arts Complex 
Tickets at UTRGV ARTS Showpass

FESTIBA Special Guests


Jóse Hernàndez is a master of mariachi music. An internationally recognized musician, composer and educator, Jóse Hernàndez continues to break boundaries in the world of mariachi.

A fifth generation mariachi, Jóse brings the pleasure of mariachi music to audiences all across the globe. He is the founder of two world-famous ensembles: Mariachi Sol de México® and Reyna de Los Angeles®, America’s first all-female professional mariachi ensemble.

Jóse continues to advance the art of mariachi with daring new compositions and arrangements. He has composed, arranged, and provided music for 15 Sol De México® albums. He sings, and plays trumpet, violin, guitarrón, and vihuela, and has performed in some of the most renowned venues around the world. He has recorded with the most respected and recognized names in the industry, including Selena, Vicente Fernandez, Luis Miguel, Bryan Adams and the Beach Boys, and has received four Grammy nominations.

Since 1989, Mariachi Aztlán has traveled throughout Mexico and the United States as musical ambassadors representing the beauty of the Hispanic music and cultural traditions. Recognitions for performance excellence initiated an invitation from the White House to perform at the signing ceremony of an Executive Order renewing and enhancing the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, performing for President Barack Obama in 2010.

In collaboration with the Houston Grand Opera, Mariachi Aztlán premiered the stage production of Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, the world’s first "Mariachi/Opera" in December, 2010.  A second performance of the same production took place in 2013 with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Mariachi Aztlán also premiered the mariachi opera El Pasado Nunca Se Termina with the Chicago Lyric Opera in 2015. Other national performances include guest artists at the Tucson International Mariachi Conference in 2015 and 2019, guest artists at the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 San Diego International Mariachi Festivals, and guest artists at the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 Chicago Mariachi Festivals. The mariachi was invited as guest clinicians and performing artists for the Mariachi Spectacular Workshop in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. For several years, Mariachi Aztlán has been invited as guest clinicians and performing artists Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza Competition in San Antonio. National performances include concerts at the Santa Barbara Bowl in August of 2019, with the famous Mexican singer, Aida Cuevas, and guest artists at the Chicago Mariachi Festival which was held at the Millenium Amphitheatre, Jay Pritzker Pavilion, June 29^th, 2019.

Other national performances at prestigious venues include Hollywood Bowl, the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Mariachi Aztlán has performed with symphony orchestras in Mexico, including performances in Monterrey, Pachuca, and Tampico, and with the Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Houston Symphony Orchestra.

Mariachi Aztlán has accompanied other famous artists such as Juan Valentin, Vikki Carr, Nydia Rojas, Azucena, Ramon Ayala, Leo Dan, Paquita La Del Barrio, and many others. International performances include the Mexican cities of Monterrey, Pachuca, Tampico, Guadalajara, Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende, and Ottawa, Canada.

In 2022 and 2023, Mariachi Aztlán toured with the “The Queen of Mariachi”, and esteemed figure in Mexico, Aida Cuevas, throughout the U.S., performing at more than 20 distinguished venues across America.

Mariachi Aztlán released a CD, Mi Nombre Es México to commemorate their 25th Anniversary.

SPRING FESTIBA 2025: Distinguished Artist Series - Mariachi Sol de Mexico

Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez will be the featured mariachi at the FESTIBA Mariachi Festival 2025, on March 2, 2025. Jóse Hernàndez is a master of mariachi music. An internationally recognized musician, composer and arranger, he is the leading mariachi educator in the nation. He has recorded with the most respected and recognized names in the industry, including Selena, Vicente Fernandez, Luis Miguel, and the Beach Boys, and has received four Grammy nominations.

Saturday, March 1st, 2025
Time: 7 p.m - 9 p.m.
Location: UTRGV Performing Arts Complex
1201 West University Drive, Edinburg

Buy Tickets Here!

For questions or accommodations, please contact the UTRGV School of Music at (956) 665-3881 or (956) 882-7025.

Para preguntas sobre adaptaciones especiales, llame al (956) 665-3881 o al (956) 882-7025.

Francisco Loera
Senior Lecturer
School of Music
EPACB B2.133
Email: francisco.loera@utrgv.edu

David Moreno
Lecturer
School of Music
EPACB 2.133
Email: david.a.moreno01@utrgv.edu