ABOUT

Sergio Martinez is a Bass from Colombia, praised nationally and internationally for his “sonorous” and “warm” bass voice as well as his stage charisma. In 2014, at 23 years of age, Martinez was selected for the main role of “El Loco” for the international premiere of Muerte Accidental de un Anarquista, a new opera by Colombian composer Jorge Pinzón. Martinez’s most recent performances include roles like Frère Laurent in Romeo et Juliette, Enrico in Anna Bolena, Don Alfonso in Così fan Tutte, Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia, Colline in La Bohème, Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Ogre in El Gato con Botas by Xavier Montsalvatge and Meneses in the Cuban zarzuela Cecilia Valdés. Some of these roles were performed in the most prestigious theaters in Colombia.

In 2020 Martinez graduated with a Master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, during his time in Illinois Martinez performed several roles and was the recipient of the Stotler Fellowship, the Golden Lyre, and the Sara de Mundo Lo award. At the beginning of 2021, Martinez composed, produced, and performed his first opera in four acts ¡Dime!, with a libretto by Bailey Merlin. Martinez has recently graduated from his MMA at Yale University where he was awarded the prestigious Phyllis Curtin Award. In recent years Martinez has premiered three of his newest compositions: Mestizaje (mezzo-soprano and piano), Mundane (bass voice, electronics, and piano), and Canciones Campesinas (bass voice and piano.) After returning from an acclaimed participation at the Glimmerglass Festival, Martinez has joined The Washington National Opera in their distinguished Cafritz young artist program.

This summer, Martinez will be performing in the Des Moines Metro Opera production of Salome as well as premiering his cycle Songs of Grief for mezzo-soprano and piano.