Rosa Maldonado
UTA Undergraduate
Mariachi Los Jinetes
Mariachi Tierra Mexicana
Rosa Maldonado, a native of Grand Prairie, TX, is currently attending the University of Texas at Arlington. A former member of the Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy’s Mariachi Sol Azteca throughout her middle and high school years, she was deeply involved in the program, contributing to the group’s success as two-time State Champions. She earned outstanding performance medals at UIL, won first place at the Fort Worth Stock Show competitions, and achieved Best Overall Group at the 2023 Mariachi Spectacular. Rosa also co-founded DFW’s Mariachi Tierra Mexicana, and in just six months, the group achieved notable milestones, including winning a local competition in Grand Prairie. Additionally, she supports El Mariachi de Oro, a Fort Worth-based mariachi group with over 20 years of history.
Beyond playing the violin, Rosa is also a vocalist and aims to inspire young musicians while continuing to promote the rich tradition of mariachi music.
Joel Cabral
UTA Undergraduate
Mariachi Los Jinetes
Mariachi Herencia de Mi Tierra
Born in Fort Worth, TX, Joel Cabral is currently studying Music Composition at the University of Texas at Arlington. He is a member of the UTA Symphony Orchestra, where he has served as Principal Second Violin. Joel was also a member of The Conducting Institute Lab Orchestra from 2022 to 2024, a finalist in the UTASO 2024-25 Concerto Competition, and a soloist with the Texas Institute for Orchestral Studies (TXIOS) OrchestraFest23. In 2024, he served as a clinician for the Lake Worth HS Mariachi. Additionally, Joel is co-director and violinist for Mariachi Los Jinetes, and a violinist for Mariachi Herencia de Mi Tierra in Fort Worth, TX.
Joel’s musical journey began in 2018, learning mariachi violin before shifting focus to classical violin in 2019. He reintroduced the mariachi style in 2023 and now practices both mariachi and classical violin.
Jovany Covarrubias
UTA Undergraduate
Mariachi Los Jinetes
A vocalist and a trumpet player, Jovany is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Arlington studying Music Education in the choral field. A previous member of Mesquite ISD’s Mariachi Estrellas de Mesquite and TMEA All-State Choir, he is currently a member of UTA’s Mariachi Los Jinetes, Acapella Choir, Maverick Marching Band, and Mav Brass.
Mauricio Martinez
UTA Alumnus
Mariachi Tequila
Mauricio Martinez is a musician from Dallas, TX, with 10 years of trumpet experience. An alumnus of W. E. Greiner Middle School and Grand Prairie High School, he has had the opportunity to play with and learn from some of the best musicians in the mariachi world. Currently, he performs with DFW’s Mariachi Tequila and plans to continue honing his mariachi skills in the years to come.
Jacob Antunez
UTA Undergraduate
Mariachi Los Jinetes
Los de la Frida
Jacob Antunez is an undergraduate student in Marketing at The University of Texas at Arlington. Proudly from Fort Worth with 5 years of music experience, he is the lead guitar, harmonic vocalist, and sound engineer for sierreño group Los de la Frida while also running a recording studio for artists in the regional world. A former member of Paschal High School’s Mariachi Panteras, he is currently President and Armonia Director of UTA’s Mariachi Los Jinetes.
Jazmin Huerta
UTA Undergraduate
Mariachi Los Jinetes
Mariachi Conquistadores Juvenil
From Arlington, TX with 6 years of mariachi experience, Jazmin Huerta is studying to earn a Bachelor’s of Music in Audio Production with an emphasis in guitar. Playing mainly vihuela and guitar, among other instruments such as violin and piano, she is currently a member of Mariachi Conquistadores Juvenil and UTA’s Mariachi Los Jinetes.
Ashley Perez
Dallas College Undergraduate
Mariachi Conquistadores Juvenil
From Dallas, TX with 8 years of mariachi experience, Ashley Perez Ventura is currently finishing an Associate of Arts degree with a Field of Study in Music at Dallas College. As a current guitarron player for Mariachi Conquistadores Juvenil, she’s had the honor of opening for Mariachi Internacional Los Pérez, Mariachi Sol de México, and accompanying artists such as Carolina Imperial and Yuridia. She has also studied classical guitar under Carlo Pezzimenti.
Ivan Rodriguez
Texas State University Alumnus
Mariachi Tradicíon Mexicana
A native of Grand Prairie, Texas, Ivan Rodriguez graduated from Texas State University with a B.M. in Music Studies with a Minor in Mariachi and an M.M. in Choral Conducting. Distinguished faculty with which he studied include Craig Hella Johnson, Artistic Director of Austin’s Conspirare; Michelle Alma Quintero, Mariachi Voice Pedagogue; and Miguel Guzman, Director of San Antonio’s Mariachi Los Galleros. Now an educator, he resides in the DFW area.
While living in Central Texas, Rodriguez served as Artistic Director of Austin’s Mariachi Amor in addition to his involvement in the Austin music scene as a choral scholar. Rodriguez currently serves as a vocalist and member of the Armonia section within DFW’s Mariachi Tradicíon Mexicana under the direction of Sandra Martinez. Outside of his current mariachi-related responsibilities, Rodriguez continues to lend his time as a chorister to King of Glory Lutheran Church and the Dallas Symphony Chorus. Additionally, he maintains a private studio of musicians seeking to advance their knowledge of vocal performance and the mariachi armonía section.
In the realm of arranging, Rodriguez has had the privilege of premiering his choral setting of the beloved folksong by Natalia Lafourcade, “Mi Tierra Veracruzana,” in the Fall of 2022 at Texas State University. Distinctions in his career include being awarded the Texas Music Educators Association 2021 Collegiate Music Educator Award; serving as an adjudicator for the 38th Annual Noche de Gala: Competencia de Vocalistas at Texas Lutheran University in 2023; and traveling to Sermoneta, Italy as part of its annual Folkloric Music Festival in 2024.
Jesus Silva
UTA Alumnus
Mariachi Tequila
Jesus Silva, also known as “Chuy,” is a native of Waco, Texas, and comes from a family of accomplished mariachi musicians. His love for mariachi music began with his grandfather, uncles, and mother, who greatly encouraged him to pursue music. Jesus started playing the violin in elementary school and continued his musical education until he graduated from University High School. In 2009, he moved to Arlington, TX, where he also used mariachi as a source of income. He graduated from the University of Texas-Arlington with degrees in public relations and advertising and a minor in marketing. Jesus works at Texas Christian University as the digital marketing coordinator for the Office of Admission and is the co-owner of Mariachi Tequila DFW LLC.
Sandra
Mayorga-Martínez
University of New Mexico Alumna
UNT Undergraduate
Mariachi Tradicíon Mexicana
Sandra Mayorga-Martínez is a violinist, educator, and arranger from Arlington, TX who has dedicated over 14 years to mariachi music and mariachi education. Upon graduating from Sam Houston High School, she went on to study at the University of New Mexico (UNM), where she studied music and Latin American studies. While there, she restarted the mariachi student organization as president and musical director of the ensemble. This initiative eventually led to the creation of an official mariachi course within the College of Music at UNM. She also participated in various Mariachi Conferences around New Mexico, serving as a violin instructor and performing with Mariachi Tradicional and Mariachi Tenampa from Albuquerque, NM. Once she moved back to Arlington, TX, she freelanced as a mariachi within the DFW area. She was then offered a mariachi assistant position at Grand Prairie High School as a paraprofessional from Spring 2022 to Spring 2023. While Sandras’ primary instrument is violin, her secondary instruments include guitar, guitarra de golpe, vihuela, and voice. She is currently finishing her degrees at the University of North Texas and will graduate in the summer of 2025. She serves as the musical director for Mariachi Tradición Mexicana de Dallas, TX, and has been actively transcribing and arranging mariachi music for the past 5 years.
