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About Us

Our Commitment

Bringing zarzuela closer to new generations, preserving this cultural legacy as an essential part of Hispanic identity in the United States. Supporting and training artists from the beginning of their careers is paramount to fulfilling our commitment

Zarzuela Voices

A unique educational scholarship program in the world, led by renowned professionals from the operatic, theatrical, and musical fields, aimed at developing new talent and ensuring the continuity of this artistic tradition.

Zarzuela with Family and Friends

A competition aimed at integrating zarzuela into everyday life, promoting its presence in popular culture, and bringing it closer to audiences of all ages.

Virtual Zarzuela School

An online platform that makes it easier to learn the genre from anywhere, allowing more people to discover and appreciate zarzuela.

“Zarzuela is life itself, sung and interpreted with music and dance” Sara Garibay

Our Team

Click on picture for bio!

Sara Garibay

President, Founder & Board Member

Sara Garibay

Founder, Board Member & President

Sara Garibay takes a vision and makes it a reality through hard work, persistence, and dedication. She was immersed in the arts and in fundraising as a child in Guadalajara. Her parents were magnificent hosts of artists and politicians, holding large parties where they raised funds for projects such as the construction of the University Autonoma of Guadalajara. Their most enthusiastic collaborators and friends on this project were Agustín Lara and his wife who spent long periods of time at Sara’s house. Agustín loved Spain and engrained that love in her through his songs and piano compositions. Her father loved opera and gave Sara an appreciation for the art form from a very young age. After studying Journalism at the University Autonoma of Guadalajara, Sara emigrated to the United States and within 2 years developed the news department for KSMS in Salinas, California. As News Director, she was instrumental in making the newscast first per capita in U.S. Spanish-language newscasts. This experience took her to Miami as a producer and reporter for Sabado Gigante were she guided the growth and popularity of the program with Hispanic audiences throughout the United States. This success led to a position as Programming Director for KWHY in Los Angeles. In a short period of time, she led this small Spanish independent station to compete with such giants as Univisión and Telemundo. Although Sara’s professional career gave her a lot of satisfaction, her work as a volunteer has given her much more. Starting at the tender age of 10, she organized a tutoring program in her church for low-income children in a local farm community. Mexico’s Secretary of Public Education recognized these efforts. Her passion to help those less fortunate can be seen with her work at the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles by helping homeless people, alcoholics, and drug addicts. She was also a pioneer at The Blessed Sacrament Church in Hollywood, where she organized a fundraising carnival with performances by popular artists. This carnival continues to grow each year. Zarzuela USA is grateful for Sara’s enthusiasm and dedication to fostering the renaissance of Zarzuela in the United States

In memory of
Ing. Francisco J. Jileta Juárez

1952 -2025
Honorary Board Member

Jane Olian

Advisory Board

Jane Olian

Board Member

Jane Olian
Music
Title: Extension Voice Chair
Specialty: Voice
Affiliation: The Juilliard School

Jane Olian is a New York–born voice teacher and performer with an international career spanning the United States, Canada, Italy, and Mexico. She has appeared in operas, oratorios, recitals, and orchestral performances, including the U.S. premiere and broadcast of Rossini’s La Gazzetta, as well as other U.S. opera premieres such as The Voice of Temperance by Jeffrey Stock.

A recipient of the Minna Kaufmann Ruud Distinguished Performance Award, she recorded The Winning of the West (CMS Records) with Tom Glazer and is a founding member of the Westminster Trio. She is co-founder and co-director of Classical Singing and New York in June, an intensive vocal study program enriched by cultural immersion.

She has maintained a private studio in New York for over 35 years and has taught at leading institutions including N.Y.U., Queens College, Mannes College, New England Conservatory, Westminster Conservatory, Artescénica (Mexico), and Académie La Roche d’Hys (France). She has been a faculty member of The Juilliard School Extension Division as Extension Voice Chair, and has also served on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music’s Precollege Division since 1991 and its Evening Division since 2009.

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Dr. John Ballerino

Honorary Board Member

Sergio Meneses

Advisor

Sergio Meneses

Advisor

Sergio Meneses is a Mexican bass singer whose professional debut took place in 1984 at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City in Samson et Dalila, under the direction of Maestro Enrique Patrón de Rueda. Throughout his career, he has appeared in numerous operas and productions, including La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, Rigoletto, Salome, The Magic Flute, Carmen, Verdi’s Requiem, Don Giovanni, L’Elisir d’Amore, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and La Cenerentola, among many others.

Since 2004, Meneses has served as General Director of Ópera de México, with which he has presented numerous critically acclaimed productions at the Teatro de la Ciudad. As a concert artist, he has focused his vocal work on the dissemination of Lied, with a repertoire ranging from the bel canto tradition to American musical theater, including Italian and French opera, oratorio, German lied, American music, sacred music, Spanish zarzuela, and tango.

He has participated in prestigious international festivals such as FIC Maya, the Mérida International Brass Festival, the Campeche International Center Festival, the Santiago de Cuba International Festival, and the Villa Solomeo International Festival in Italy, as well as performances throughout the United States and a concert tour in Argentina in 2019, appearing in major concert halls and conservatories.

In June 2025, Meneses carried out a series of artistic activities and performances in Panama, including a master class at Ciudad de las Artes organized by the Ministry of Culture of Panama, Noche de Ópera sin Fronteras with Fundación Ópera de Panamá, a concert featuring three Mexican soloists with the National Symphony Orchestra of Panama under the direction of Maestro Ricardo Risco, a Ministry of Culture–sponsored concert, and Música de Dos Continentes at Teatro Balboa, organized by Pianistas de Panamá and the Embassy of Mexico in Panama.

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Celia Banuelos

Founder, Board Member & Operations Director

Ernesto Álvarez

Advisor

Federico Figueroa

ARTISTIC ADVISOR

With a very broad vision of the artistic panorama, thanks to his university studies in Industrial Engineering, Architecture and Arts, but above all due to his practice in various parts of the process of creating live shows, he has built a highly prestigious career. As a freelance stage director, from his native Chiapas to stages of Spain, Portugal, Scotland, Andorra, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Peru and United States, where he has staged performances of opera, operetta and zarzuela. He is founder and director of Estudio de Zarzuela and since 2020 he has been artistic director of the Medinaceli Lírico Festival. He is also invited to give lectures and as a jury in international singing competitions. He has staged zarzuelas from the 17th to 21st centuries. This year he has directed the zarzuelas “Dafne y Apolo” in Dallas, “Doña Francisquita” at the La Solana Zarzuela Week, “Jasón o la conquista del Vellocino” and “La corte de Faraón” in several cities in Spain.His next work, under the auspices of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, will be the zarzuela “Veneno de amor es la envidia” (1705), de Sebastián Durón, at the National Auditorium in Madrid.

Thank You to Our Amazing Ambassadors!

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the incredible ambassador of Zarzuela USA International. Your dedication and passion for sharing and promoting the art of zarzuela inspire us every day. Whether through creating engaging content, supporting our community, or helping in countless other ways, your contributions are invaluable.

Belén Rodero

ambassador

Belén Rodero

Ambassador

Belén Rodero holds a Master degree in architecture from the European University of Madrid, where she cultivated her passion for design and aesthetics. Alongside this professional path, she has pursued a career as a classical singer, shining on stages in both Los Angeles and Madrid. Her musical training led her to study at the prestigious Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest, where she set the foundations of her vocal technique. Later she graduated with a distinguished special award from the Amaniel Professional Conservatory in Madrid. Throughout her career, Belén has had the privilege of participating in advanced specialization courses under the tutelage of renowned mentors, including Vincenzo Spatola, Isabel Rey, Raquel Lojendio, and Gabriella Ravazzi. Her talent and dedication have allowed her to perform in a variety of venues across Spain, such as the National Auditorium in Madrid, the Museum of Romanticism, Casa de Vacas, and the Atarfe Auditorium in Granada, as well as at the Intramurs Festival in Valencia, the music and heritage cycles in the city of Toledo, and the Madrid International Jazz Festival. Internationally, her performances have reached audiences in Bolivia and the United States, with her most recent presentation being at the “Voices of Zarzuela” event in Los Angeles.

Aldo Alan

Ambassador

Aldo Alan

Ambassador

Tenor Aldo Alan has performed a wide range of operatic and oratorio repertoire. His operatic credits include Voce Interna and Un Giovanetto in L’amore dei Tre Re, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, and Lippo in Street Scene. He has also portrayed Spalanzani and Franz in The Tales of Hoffmann, and Martin in The Tender Land. In oratorio, Aldo has appeared as the tenor soloist in Puccini’s Messa di Gloria and Honegger’s King David. He earned his Master of Music in Vocal Performance from DePaul University in 2023, where he is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma, expected to graduate in June 2025. Since 2019, Aldo has been an active volunteer with Zarzuela USA International, a non-profit organization promoting the zarzuela genre. In 2023, he participated in workshops with Zarzuela por el Mundo and Zarzuela USA International, receiving vocal and dramatic training from renowned mezzo-soprano Nancy Fabiola Herrera.

Sarah Jileta

ambassador

Sarah Jileta

Ambassador

I am from Guadalajara, and since I was three years old, I have been immersed in the arts—first in flamenco and later in jazz. I studied Business Administration at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, but my father passed on to me his love for music. Music has been the central axis of my life thanks to the deep connection I had with my father, Eng. Francisco Jileta. It all began while I was still in my mother’s womb and grew during the trips we took when I was little. On the road, he would play music and sing to me for every occasion. I accompanied him every Thursday to Teatro Degollado and other theaters. He passed on to me his passion for high-fidelity audio; I joined him at international exhibitions for his Troy speakers and in the management of Great Plains Acoustics. Seeing how people connect with music through sound taught me to truly value it. Today, I apply my administrative background as Ambassador of Zarzuela USA International. My purpose is to support newly graduated opera singers, as well as established artists who deserve greater promotion. It is an educational and cultural project with a strong social commitment. My father always supported Zarzuela USA International, and now it is my turn to continue his legacy.

Silviha Villegas

ambassador

Silvia Villegas

Ambassador

Here is the concise English version: **Silvia Villegas** is an attorney specializing in Mexican consular law with over 30 years of experience at the Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles. She has worked in diplomatic, community, and cultural affairs, collaborating closely with binational authorities and organizations. She is also a cultural promoter and visual artist, co-founder of the New Light Art Movement and New Light Art Gallery, dedicated to supporting and showcasing the arts. Her community and cultural work has been widely recognized throughout Southern California. She combines her legal and diplomatic expertise with a strong commitment to cultural and social engagement between Mexico and the United States.

Katya G. Valero

ambassador

Katya González Valero

Ambassador

Katya González Valero is an artist and cultural promoter with experience in music outreach, marketing, and educational project management. She is committed to preserving and expanding zarzuela through cultural partnerships and strategic communication initiatives. She has experience in vocal training, promotion of lyrical repertoire, and engaging diverse audiences. She has collaborated with the Mexico City Ministry of Culture and Universidad TecMexiquense in cultural outreach, event coordination, marketing strategies, and social media management. She is bilingual and has a strong background in customer service, strategic communication, and operational coordination. If you’d like, I can make it even shorter or more artistic in tone.

Monika Lopez

ambassador

Monika Lopez

Ambassador

Soprano, pianist, project manager and independent researcher in music and health.
Awarded for talent and overcoming through more than five scholarships and grants, public and private, being the first soprano with organic physical disability that has consolidated her artistic career in this field, she has performed galas and concerts as a scholarship holder and ambassador of human values and inclusion and equiality in music, both nationally and internationally (Royal Albert Hall and Royal Academy of music in London).
Currently she continues to blaze trails in health, neuromusic and disability shaping her higher studies, and growing artistically and personally on stage with zarzuela, opera, jazz and soul.

They Say About Us

María Rodríguez

Spanish Soprano and actress

Allen Vladimir Gómez

Orchestra conductor

Sara Garibay

Founder, Board Member & President

Sara Garibay takes a vision and makes it a reality through hard work, persistence, and dedication. She was immersed in the arts and in fundraising as a child in Guadalajara. Her parents were magnificent hosts of artists and politicians, holding large parties where they raised funds for projects such as the construction of the University Autonoma of Guadalajara. Their most enthusiastic collaborators and friends on this project were Agustín Lara and his wife who spent long periods of time at Sara’s house. Agustín loved Spain and engrained that love in her through his songs and piano compositions. Her father loved opera and gave Sara an appreciation for the art form from a very young age.


After studying Journalism at the University Autonoma of Guadalajara, Sara emigrated to the United States and within 2 years developed the news department for KSMS in Salinas, California. As News Director, she was instrumental in making the newscast first per capita in U.S. Spanish-language newscasts. This experience took her to Miami as a producer and reporter for Sabado Gigante were she guided the growth and popularity of the program with Hispanic audiences throughout the United States. This success led to a position as Programming Director for KWHY in Los Angeles. In a short period of time, she led this small Spanish independent station to compete with such giants as Univisión and Telemundo.


Although Sara’s professional career gave her a lot of satisfaction, her work as a volunteer has given her much more. Starting at the tender age of 10, she organized a tutoring program in her church for low-income children in a local farm community. Mexico’s Secretary of Public Education recognized these efforts. Her passion to help those less fortunate can be seen with her work at the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles by helping homeless people, alcoholics, and drug addicts. She was also a pioneer at The Blessed Sacrament Church in Hollywood, where she organized a fundraising carnival with performances by popular artists. This carnival continues to grow each year. Zarzuela USA is grateful for Sara’s enthusiasm and dedication to fostering the renaissance of Zarzuela in the United States

Francisco J. Jileta Juárez

Honorary Board Member

Interés Cultural y Filantrópico

  • Participación en la publicación de obras de Javier Garabito Tovar y Juan José Doñán Gómez, enfocadas en la poesía, la música y las artes, a través de la Fundación Jileta

Formación Académica

  • Ingeniero Civil por la Universidad de Guadalajara (1974)

  • Licenciatura en Urbanismo por la Université Paris VIII, Vincennes, Francia (1976)

  • Maestría en Urbanismo por la Université Paris VIII, Vincennes, Francia (1978)

  • Programa de Alta Dirección AD-2 en el Instituto Panamericano de Alta Dirección de Empresa (IPADE Business School, 2019)

  • Diversos cursos en el Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles del Estado de Jalisco

Actividades Empresariales Relevantes

  • Desde 1970 se ha dedicado a la explotación forestal sustentable en los estados de Jalisco y Nayarit

  • Ha ejecutado proyectos de construcción y obra civil tanto para el sector público como para el privado

  • Inversionista en empresas del sector inmobiliario, participando en la compra y venta de propiedades comerciales y residenciales

  • Proveedor de insumos diversos para el Departamento del Distrito Federal (1987–1990)

  • Entre 1990 y 1992 llevó a cabo la remodelación y rehabilitación del ingenio azucarero La Purísima en Tecalitlán, Jalisco, así como la construcción de nuevas naves industriales para su operación

  • Propietario de las compañías Great Plains Audio (Oklahoma, EE. UU.) y Troy Audio (Houston, EE. UU.), ambas dedicadas al diseño y fabricación de altavoces de alto desempeño para aplicaciones Hi-Fi

Dr. John Ballerino

Honorary Board Member

An accomplished speaker and performer of Spanish and Latin American music, Dr. Ballerino lectures and performs throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Since 1999, John has been the principal coach and Assistant Music Director for ten different Zarzuela productions at the Jarvis Conservatory in Napa, California. He has also served as a Spanish diction coach for productions by the Los Angeles Opera and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. In 2007, John was on staff at Los Angeles Opera as diction coach and pianist for the Zarzuela Luisa Fernanda, featuring Plácido Domingo in the lead role. In 2010 John was the assistant conductor and Spanish coach for Rio de Sangre, a world premier opera by Don Davis that was produced by the Florentine Opera (Milwaukee).

Celia Banuelos

Founder, Board Member & Operations Director

Ms. Celia Banuelos is a dynamic and accomplished professional with over 29 years’ experience in project coordination and administration for the public and private sector. She received her BA from University California Irvine in Sociology and a Masters in Mexican American Studies from California State University of Los Angeles. Throughout her studies and work in Spanish Television, she understands the power of the media to preserve the Spanish language and Hispanic cultural identity. Her background has helped to shape a sensitivity and an understanding of the importance to educate, empower and connect with future generations. Her experience is key to effectively bridge cultural projects aimed to disseminate cultural pride and unite our community.

Analía Olivera

adviser

Analía celebrates the heritage of being the fourth generation in her family immersed in music and cultural production, studying at Interlochen National Music Academy Michigan, she joined the National Symphony Orchestra of SODRE Uruguay and the Montevideo Philharmonic Orchestra as a violist player. Participates in the foundation of the Youth Symphony Orchestra “José Artigas” She begins her career as a Cultural Producer becoming the General Manager of the SODRE National Youth Symphony Orchestra producing national official tours and concerts throughout Europe as in the Berlin Philharmonic, in the United States Kennedy Center, National Theaters of Mexico and Panama Analía has been the Institutional Coordinator of the SODRE National Symphony Orchestra, developing institutional strengthening and exchange at national and international level. She is the Institutional Coordinator of the Foundation” Sistema de Orquestas y Coros Infantiles y Juveniles del Uruguay” that has been for more than 20 years accomplishing the statement about” Music as universal right”, making it possible for thousands of children of all across Uruguay to access a Choral and Orchestral training. Also joining the team in Zarzuela USA as the Executive Director.

Martha Rodriguez

Founder, Board Member & performance art director

Martha Rodriguez was born in Colombia where she grew up in a musical family. Her grandfather was an interpreter of Colombian music, while her mother sang and played the guitar. From a young age they planted in her a taste for music. She started playing flute at 7 years old, guitar at 9. In her teens she added three more stringed instruments: cuatro, charango, and double bass, as well as the organ. She played with musical ensembles at school and beyond, winning prizes with tuna (a traditional serenade group), murga (traditional musical theater), and an Andean folk group, as well as the choir of the Catholic University of Colombia. Her performance with the chorale of the youth symphony in Bogotá led to her joining the Fundación Arte Lirico de Colombia, where her teacher Jaime Manzur and general director Estrella Barbero de Malagón taught her to love zarzuela. As a soprano she sang in zarzuelas such as Luisa Fernanda, La del Soto del Parral, Las Leandras, Los Gavilanes, La corte de Faraón, and La Rosa del Azafrán, as well as other anthologies and operettas.

Concurrent with her busy musical career, Martha studied human rights and international humanitarian law and graduated from Catholic University of Colombia to fight for many years for the rights of victims in Colombia. Today she has the honor of being part of the great Zarzuela USA movement where she combines her passion for music and her humanitarian nature to teach the next generation the art of zarzuela.

Ernesto Rafael Álvarez Camacho

Executive Director and Producer of Zarzuela USA International and Honorary Board Member

Comentarista frecuente de 1988 a 1998 en el programa de radio A las Nueve con Usted, que conducía Yolanda Zamora, con el tema: Ópera y Zarzuela. Desde 1991 hasta el año 2014 fue conductor del programa televisivo dominical, que se trasmitía por Canal 7 de 17:00 a 20:00 horas: Encuentro con las Obras Maestras, en donde presentaba óperas, ballets y conciertos. De 2003 al 2014, condujo las transmisiones televisivas de la Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco que se transmitían en C7 durante las temporadas de conciertos de la orquesta. En 2008 inicia y sigue hasta la fecha, como conductor del programa dominical, en radio UDG de 10 a 12 hrs.: Ópera Radio. Impartió por 9 años la pláticas previas a las presentaciones de las óperas de las temporadas del Metropolitan Opera de Nueva York que se transmitían en el Teatro Diana. Productor y director de escena en óperas y zarzuelas En el año 2005 formó AVE Producciones, una empresa 100% jalisciense, que surge al ver la necesidad de promover espectáculos de calidad y de contenido artístico, aprovechando principalmente el talento radicado en Guadalajara y apoyándose con artistas consolidados a nivel nacional e internacional. AVE Producciones tiene la finalidad de ofrecer al público en general cultura a la vez que diversión. http://aveproducciones.com/ En el año 2005 incursiona como productor de zarzuelas con La Corte del Faraón en el Teatro Diana con la Universidad de Guadalajara, obra que se presentó nuevamente al año siguiente en la ciudad de Aguascalientes, dentro del Festival Cultural de la Feria de San Marcos. En mayo del 2007 presentó en el Teatro Diana la zarzuela: La Verbena de la Paloma y en octubre de ese mismo año, en el Teatro Degollado, vuelve con los dos títulos mencionados: La Corte del Faraón y La Verbena de la Paloma, en donde además interpretó el papel de Don Hilarión. En febrero de 2008, presentó La Corte del Faraón en Querétaro con la Orquesta Filarmónica de esa ciudad, en el Auditorio Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, y en noviembre de ese año La Verbena de la Paloma en el Atrio de la basílica de Zapopan. En noviembre del 2009 se presentó como productor ejecutivo y director de escena en la Zarzuela Luisa Fernanda con la OFJ, en el Teatro Degollado y en octubre repitió como productor ejecutivo y director de escena en la edición 2010 de la misma Zarzuela, ahora en el Teatro Diana. En el 2010 se presentó como Director de Escena para la presentación del Coro de la Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (UNIVA) con partes de la Zarzuela Luisa Fernanda, en el Teatro de Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco. Fungió como director de escena en La Serva Padrona con el Ensamble Filarmónico de Guadalajara, AC e miércoles 23 de junio de 2010 en el Teatro Degollado. Participó en la organización de la gala de ópera y ballet: Carmen con la Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco en su tercera temporada de 2011 en la Plaza de Toros Nuevo Progreso, en Guadalajara, en el marco del evento cultural de los Juegos Panamericanos. En el 2011, fue Director de Escena con el Taller Lírico de Jalisco, con la ópera de Xavier Montsalvatge; El Gato con Botas que se presentó en el Museo López Portillo en Guadalajara y posteriormente el Palcco Como Director de Escena con el Taller Lírico de Jalisco presentaron la Gala de Menotti con la ópera El Teléfono y arias de las óperas de El Cónsul, Amelia va al baile, y otras. Esto en el Teatro Degollado y en el exconvento del Carmen. Dicha Gala también se presentó en Lagos de Moreno en el 2011 y en Guanajuato en 2012. Participación artística Estudió canto con el tenor Flavio Becerra, y en 1987 participó en la conformación del Taller Independiente de Ópera A.C organizando de 1988 a 1993, conciertos operísticos con cantantes nacionales e internacionales. En 1989 participó en el coro de la ópera Rigoletto que se presentó en el Teatro Degollado. En 1996 tomó clases de canto con la maestra María Teresa de Zambrano y participó en frecuentes presentaciones de Antología de la Zarzuela con el grupo de zarzuela “Pepita Embil” que dirigía la propia maestra Zambrano. En 1998 participó en la zarzuela Los Gavilanes en el papel del alcalde Clarivan, presentándose entre otros lugares en la Escuela de Música de la UdG para celebrar el aniversario de la misma. En noviembre del 2000 hizo el papel de Don Florito, en la zarzuela Luisa Fernanda, en el Teatro Degollado. En octubre del 2002 interpretó el papel de Uberto de La Serva Padrona en el Ex Convento del Carmen, en el año 2004, en el patio principal de la presidencia municipal de Zapopan. En el año 2003 tomó el Taller de Dirección Escénica en Casa de Teatro de la UdG impartido por Saúl Meléndez. Cargos honoríficos Consejero de Música del Consejo Estatal para la Cultura y las Artes (CECA), de la Secretaría de Cultura en los ciclo 2008 a 2010 y actualmente del 2011 a 2013. Consejero del Comité de las publicaciones culturales, en el área de música, del periódico “Mural” durante el 2010-2011.

Federico Figueroa

ARTISTIC ADVISOR

With a very broad vision of the artistic panorama, thanks to his university studies in Industrial Engineering, Architecture and Arts, but above all due to his practice in various parts of the process of creating live shows, he has built a highly prestigious career. As a freelance stage director, from his native Chiapas to stages of Spain, Portugal, Scotland, Andorra, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Peru and United States, where he has staged performances of opera, operetta and zarzuela. He is founder and director of Estudio de Zarzuela and since 2020 he has been artistic director of the Medinaceli Lírico Festival. He is also invited to give lectures and as a jury in international singing competitions. He has staged zarzuelas from the 17th to 21st centuries. This year he has directed the zarzuelas “Dafne y Apolo” in Dallas, “Doña Francisquita” at the La Solana Zarzuela Week, “Jasón o la conquista del Vellocino” and “La corte de Faraón” in several cities in Spain.His next work, under the auspices of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, will be the zarzuela “Veneno de amor es la envidia” (1705), de Sebastián Durón, at the National Auditorium in Madrid.

Hugo Castillo

Creative director and artistic consultant

La Fundación Zarzuela USA anuncia con orgullo el nombramiento del señor Hugo Castillo al comité organizador de su próximo evento, Voces de la Zarzuela, que la organización celebrará el próximo mes de octubre en la ciudad de Los Ángeles, California. Con una sólida y diversa trayectoria artística y administrativa, Castillo declaró a todos los participantes su compromiso para aportar experiencia y liderazgo y en su nuevo cargo. A lo largo de los años, Hugo ha ocupado varios cargos fungiendo en la directiva y consejo de varias organizaciones pro-arte privadas y de gobierno estatal. Reconocido internacionalmente, Hugo Castillo es un tenor operático, actor y director artístico del grupo de ópera, “QU4TRO!” Nacido de padres cantantes, Hugo descubrió su amor por la música desde temprana edad. Su madre le inculcó el aprecio por el arte y la música, legado materno que lo llevaría a forjar su carrera artística y a cantar por todo el mundo.

Leopoldo Falcón

BOARD MEMBER

Inicia su carrera como actor a los 7 años en la compañía “ Teatro Fantástico “ interviene también en programas de televisión que se trasmitían en vivo. Se integra a la compañía de zarzuela y opereta de Pepita Embil y Plácido Domingo. Con esa experiencia en la práctica en los escenarios, los 19 años se integra al plantel de la academia de la ANDA Andrés Soler como maestro suplente, Y ahí obtiene una beca para estudiar la especialización en artes escénicas obteniendo el título de la licenciatura para impartir cátedra. Es fundador del centro infantil de capacitación artística de televisa impartiendo clases y realizando montajes por más de 3 años. Su experiencia y profundo conocimiento en la Zarzuela le lleva a ser un especialista y maestro del género y con ello impartir conferencias y talleres enfocadas a promover y difundir su especialización. Ha realizado montajes y cursos para los gobiernos de la República Mexicana así como en USA, Guatemala, Costa Rica, y España.

Marcello Pérez Pose

President of Zarzuela por el Mundo and Honorary Board Member

Great passionate about music, immersed in it since his childhood, Marcello established himself as a symphonic artist in 1988. Since then he has been part of important musical institutions in South America (Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela). He held the positions of timbales and percussion soloist in the Uruguay National Symphony, Montevideo Philharmonic, Ibero-American Symphony, Mercosur Symphony. He founded the Symphony of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Uruguay, the José Artigas Symphony, the JJMM World Symphony and has been invited as part of the Punta del Este Symphony, ProOpera and the Uruguayan Association of Musicians, among many others.

As a teacher, he has been in charge of various percussion and timbales chairs in Uruguay and Latin America.

Alternating with his activity as a musician, he began his career as a cultural producer in 1999 at the head of Salón Sinfónico Producciones, and since 2009 he has been the director of AméricaIberMúsica, organizing high-level musical events in theaters around the world.

Thanks to his experience, quality of performance and relationships in the music sphere, he has been a promoter and has collaborated with renowned artists, as well as making co-productions with multiple governments, associations and private companies.

Marcello is a constant figure in the community of the great theaters of the world, and over the years he has forged professional ties and friendships with the most outstanding personalities of this industry.

Liliana Escalante

Collaborator

Liliana Escalante is a journalist graduated from the San Martin de Porres University, in Lima-Peru, with extensive experience in her country and in the United States, where she has worked in different print media and television networks. Since she was a child, she participated in several musical performances at her school directed by Spanish nuns, thanks to them she learned about the different Spanish artistic expressions, among them Zarzuela. She was not a teenager yet when she, along with her family, traveled to Spain, when they visited Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid she immediately fell in love with this Spanish lyric-dramatic expression of this art. As a journalist with more than 30 years of experience, she has covered different musical events with special emphasis on the Los Angeles Opera and has attended almost every season, she always had in mind that someday the public in United States will embrace and enjoy “La Zarzuela”. Being part of Zarzuela USA represents for Liliana Escalante a great opportunity to welcome to the United States a theatrical genre with more than 350 years of existence, an expression of art full of human messages, joy and, almost always, happy endings”.

Yanalte Galvan

Communications Director

Yanalte Galvan studied Communications, Theater, Music, Folklore, Ballet and Art in Mexico and the United States. She currently serves as president of the group Lo Maximo, promoting music and audiovisual productions. She is co-owner of Lo Maximo TV (YouTube) and Lo MaximoRadio.com, where she directs and hosts news and talk shows. Her professional career spans three decades, during which she has been a correspondent for Vanidades International and Editorial Televisa, and a columnist for El Globo magazine in New York and El Avizo in Los Angeles. During the years 1991-1992 she produced a hosted the program Panorama for Galavision Los Angeles; and from 1993 to 1995 she produced and animated the Hollywood Grupero segment for Televisa Mexico. Between 1997 and 2000 she hosted of the program “Yanalte Galvan Kent y Sus Amigos” on 930 AM radio for Liberman Broadcasting in Los Angeles. Promoting and advising artist, in her professional career she has worked with celebrities such as Paloma San Basilio, Jenni Rivera and Mexican tenor Mauro Calderon, among many others.

Monica Garibay

Public Relations

Growing up in Guadalajara with her sister and fellow board member Sara Garibay, Monica Garibay Silver enjoyed a house full of music and visits from international personalities. Monica was influenced by Yolanda “Yiyi” Gasca, wife of Maestro Agustín Lara and Monica’s godmother. “I lived a large part of my life at her side. Thanks to Yiyi I had the great opportunity to work with Maestro Roberto Cantoral at the Society of Mexican Authors and Composers (SACM).” Monica’s father passed away when she was little and she grew up with the help of her sister Sara, whom she always admired and followed closely. Sara’s enthusiasm accentuated Monica’s taste for opera and zarzuela.


With a B.A. from the Autonomous University of Guadalajara, Monica has worked for 35 years in the field of tourism and public relations. After 20 years in the city of Mexicali, she moved to Tijuana where she spent 6 years as Manager of VIP Client Development for Caliente Casino. While living there, she closely followed the Opera de la Calle Tijuana and became interested in promoting the genre of zarzuela, eventually serving as a duende of the Zarzuela for the World movement supported by Sara Garibay. This excellent team then created the Zarzuela USA foundation to promote zarzuela through primary school education. Monica became an independent international medical tourism liaison in 2019, and she continues to promote the zarzuela genre.

Alma Hinojosa

adviser

With Degrees in International Business and Education, Alma has had varied positions from College Professor to Vice President of an International Relations Business. Many of her endeavors involved bringing businesses into Mexico and Latin America including: several Educational Programs; several large Theme Park Developments; Public Relations and Event Planning in Sports (FIFA and Mexican League), Music and Entertainment licensing; aero-space manufacturing; and more.

Based on her experiences within several U.S. Educational Programs and Tribal Nations, Alma lead a team of experts, to create the only on-line bilingual “Work Skills Assessment” (in both English and Spanish) in alignment to U.S. Labor Dept Standards and recognized by the USA, Mexico, Canada, and other Latin-American’s countries. This skills assessment establishes minimum skill criteria for 1000s of job profiles and compares the worker’s skills to that job’s minimum profile. “It is now more about a person’s basic skills, improving specific deficiencies, and guiding them to the career path options they fit”.

Alma has earned specialized certifications in Avionics Technology along with an FCC License (USA); a National Defense Certificate from the Colegio de Defensa Nacional (Mexico), and appointed the “United States Delegate to the World Organization for Peace” among other certifications and recognitions.

Alma has developed a strong network of reliable professionals in business; creative development in art, video, and digital content; real estate development; politics and government agencies like labor, education, sports, manufacturing; and more.

Alma enjoys getting involved with exciting new projects, and always contributes 100%. Her creativity and logic often improve the end result or facilitate the success of the projects she has been involved with. Passions include her Dog Cleopatra, Travel and helping others to help themselves.

Carolina Davalos

Board Member

Carolina Davalos is a Mexican Fashion Designer, reporter, weather anchor and television hostess. Carolina Davalos was born on December 29, in Mexico City. The acting bug bit Carolina at a very young age. She took part in school plays and followed those with Soap Opera and TV appearances. Carolina graduated from Jeannette Klein Fashion Institute, the most renowned fashion school in Mexico. After graduation, Carolina worked for a variety of Fashion Companies. Then she left the world of fashion and Mexico behind to follow another one of her dreams, Carolina Davalos move to Los Angeles, California, where she enrolled in singing and acting classes but she got the big break into when in 2001 she was hired to present the weather on Telemundo KVEA as a weekend weather anchor, later she became a life style and entertainment reporter for prime time and morning news, where she got a Golden Mic for best reporter in a morning show. But her love and knowledge for fashion inspire a segment call “Belleza y Estilo” where her unique beauty along with her personality shine .Now Carolina is taking up on a new challenge with “Llegaron las Mujeres” a radio talk show with Univision Radio and she is still learning and growing both personal, and professional.

Frank Bedoya

Founder

Frank Bedoya, a native of Colombia who embarked on a journey to the United States to become a television executive producer, has successfully accomplished his goal as a Seven-time Emmy Award-wining for programs developed for the Hispanic population in the United States as well as Latin America. His 30 years of experience in Spanish television grants him the expertise with proven ability to successfully lead and motivate large and diverse groups throughout complex logistical projects from conception through completion. Throughout his travels and exposure to diverse cultures has strengthened his belief that future generations need to understand and appreciate their culture. He aims to utilize his backgrounds to foster the renaissance of zarzuela in the United States.