Arizona Opera Cast Members & Creatives
Javier Martinez
He was born in 1978 in Mexico City, into a family of mariachi musicians. His grandparents, Felipe Pérez (maternal) and Blas Martínez (paternal), both former members of the mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan, and his father, José (Pepe Martínez), musical director of the mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan (THE BEST MARIACHI IN THE WORLD), for more than 40 years. His cousins and uncles have also been part of large mariachi groups and thus grew up steeped in Mexican music and surrounded by great musicians.
He started his career at the age of 17 as a violinist and singer. From then until now, he has dedicated his life to Mexican music, directing, and various record productions for various singers and mariachi groups.
MARIACHI CHARROS DE AMECA (1995-1996) MARIACHI JUVENIL DE MEXICO (1996-1999) MARIACHI AZTECA (1999-2000) MARIACHI GALLOS DE MEXICO (2000-2005) MARIACHI JUVENIL CAMPEROS (2005-2007) MARIACHI SOL DE AMERICA (2007-2011 ) MARIACHI JUVENIL CAMPEROS (2011-2014) MARIACHI AGAVEROS (2014-2018) EXTERMINATING GROUP
He has also been part of the musicians cast of many internationally famous artists such as LUIS MIGUEL, JENI RIVERA, PABLO MONTERO, LEO DAN, AIDA CUEVAS, ROCIO DURCAL, GRUPO EXTERMINADOR, ETC.
He also participated as a musician and arranger in the recording of several songs for the project called, Mariachi Rock-O, in the city of Guadalajara.
In 2015 he was summoned to be an arranger of the performance of the opera, “The Past Never Ends”, a creation of his father José Martínez and Leonard Foglia, produced by Lyric Opera of Chicago. This opera was presented in Chicago, California and Houston with great success. It was the second opera performed solely with mariachi music and was performed by mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan and great talents of the opera.
In 2017 he was summoned to continue the legacy of his father and compose together with the great writer Leonard Foglia, the third opera for mariachi, commissioned by the HOUSTON GRAND OPERA.
He is currently the musical director of the opera, “Cruzar la cara de la luna”, with a Mexican production that was presented on December 22, 2018 at the Diana theater in the city of Guadalajara. This work was the first opera in the world written only with mariachi music, and was originally commissioned by the HOUSTON GRAND OPERA and was also composed by his father José Martínez and Leonard Foglia
In 2019 EL MILAGRO DEL RECUERDO was presented in the city of Houston with great success. This masterpiece was written by Leonard Foglia and Javier Martínez as Composer.
