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Mariachi Estelares de Colorado | All-State Mariachi Ensemble
Auditions for the 2025 Mariachi Estelares de Colorado, Colorado’s All-State Youth Mariachi Ensemble will be accepted February 3 – March 15, 2025. Thirteen exceptional students will be selected to work with Mariachi Maestro Dr. Lorenzo Trujillo in learning and mastering advanced Mariachi musical scores, and will have the special opportunity to perform at Casa Bonita, and to open for the headlining act at the Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival in September 2025, presented with the Latino Cultural Arts Center (LCAC) and the Levitt Pavilion Denver.
What has the All-State Mariachi Ensemble done in the past?
Established in 2022 by the LCAC and MSU Denver, the Mariachi Estelares de Colorado groups have performed at Casa Bonita, Denver Nuggets games, and have performed each year at the Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival, where they have opened for artists Lupita Infante, Flor de Toloache, and La Santa Cecilia.
Read more about the 2023 group in this article from the Denver Post.
How to Audition
Audition Information
Eligibility Requirements
Students must be in the 9th Grade through Undergraduate level. Students must play a traditional Mariachi instrument and sing. Students must provide the contact information for one reference from their school, whether that is a Mariachi Ensemble Director, Band or Orchestra Director, Teacher, or Principal.
Instruments Accepted
We are accepting auditions for violin, trumpet, harp, guitarron, guitarra and vihuela.
Audition Requirements
Fill out the audition application and submit a 3-minute video performing excerpts of two Mariachi pieces; the first displaying your instrument, and the second performing a vocal solo.
Former All-State Mariachi musicians re-applying must fill out the application, but do not need to submit a video audition.
Application Window
The application window will be open February 3 – March 15, 2025.
Selection Process
Audition scores are totaled and entered into a database. The score formula is then applied to the scores generating a list of students ranked by instrument and score. The All-State Mariachi group will be made of 13 students: 6 violins, 3 trumpets, 1 guitarron, 1 vihuela, 1 guitarra and 1 harp (optional). Selected participants will be notified via email in April, and are expected to attend the Viva Southwest Mariachi Conference event April 4-5, 2025 for the public announcement.
Note to Mariachi Directors:
If you would like to recommend a candidate to audition in-person at the conference, please email Dr. Lorenzo A. Trujillo ([email protected]) in advance of the conference to arrange a time for the audition.
Audition Video Requirements
To audition, please submit a video-recording of yourself playing excerpts from two Mariachi pieces. The first performance must be an instrument solo, and the second must be a vocal solo. Specific requirements for each performance are listed below, along with the criteria judges will use for selection. Judges will score your audition 40% Instrument Solo, 35% Vocal Solo, and 25% Performance and the ability to bring the songs to life (this includes your ability to show creativity, stage presence, confidence, and story-telling).
Instrument Solo (40%)
Instrument Solo Audition Requirements:
- Play a 30 second to 1 minute solo on your instrument
- You must submit with a metronome as your accompaniment set at your desired bpm
- Please disclose the tempo you are setting and what published piece of Mariachi music you will be playing
Submissions will be judged on the following criteria for the instrument solo:
- Technique (knowledge of instrument, appropriate style)
- Tempo (accuracy of notes and rhythms)
- Musicality (dynamics, accents, etc.)
Voice Solo (35%)
Voice Solo Audition Requirements:
- Please limit solos to 2 minutes or less
- Students must sing a solo from a “published music source”
- Students singing inappropriate literature will receive a score of zero for the solo
- Submissions must be recorded using a live or pre-recorded guitar or Mariachi group accompaniment
- Entries submitted with keyboards, synthesized instruments, computer-generated music, or other non-traditional Mariachi accompaniment will be disqualified
- Memorization is required
Submissions will be judged on the following criteria for the vocal solo:
- Tone Quality / Technique (tone, breath support, vowels, appropriate style)
- Intonation (singing in tune)
- Accuracy (accuracy of notes and rhythms)
- Diction (text clarity, accurate pronunciation of the Spanish)
- Musicality (dynamics, sensitivity to text, articulation to convey appropriate meaning)
Submit Your Application
Once your audition videos are ready, fill out and submit your Audition Application.
Apply NowParticipant Requirements
Students chosen to participate in the Mariachi Estelares de Colorado are expected to memorize and sing all literature designated by the musical assignment, attend all rehearsals and concerts, and follow the rules listed on the acceptance. Attendance for all rehearsals and concert performances are mandatory.
What is the All-State Mariachi Ensemble Schedule?
Participants will be expected to perform two major concerts: (1) Casa Bonita (date tbd), and (2) Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival in September at Levitt Pavilion.
Students will be required to commit to Saturday rehearsals from 9am-1pm in August and September in Denver.
Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival 2024 Gallery
The Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform at Levitt Pavilion in September 2024. Photo: Brent Johnson, courtesy of the LCAC
The Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform at Levitt Pavilion in September 2024. Photo: Brent Johnson, courtesy of the LCAC
The Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform at Levitt Pavilion in September 2024. Photo: Brent Johnson, courtesy of the LCAC
The Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform at Levitt Pavilion in September 2024. Photo: Brent Johnson, courtesy of the LCAC
The Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform at Levitt Pavilion in September 2024. Photo: Brent Johnson, courtesy of the LCAC
Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival 2023 Gallery
Flor de Toloache Performs at Levitt Pavilion on September 16, 2023. Photo: Anthony Maes, courtesy of the LCAC
The 2023 Mariachi Estelares de Colorado. Photo: Anthony Maes, courtesy of the LCAC
The 2023 Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform at Levitt Pavilion on September 16, 2023. Photo: Anthony Maes, courtesy of the LCAC
The 2023 Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform at Levitt Pavilion on September 16, 2023. Photo: Anthony Maes, courtesy of the LCAC
The 2023 Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform at Levitt Pavilion on September 16, 2023. Photo: Anthony Maes, courtesy of the LCAC
The 2023 Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform at Levitt Pavilion on September 16, 2023. Photo: Anthony Maes, courtesy of the LCAC
The 2023 Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform at Levitt Pavilion on September 16, 2023. Photo: Anthony Maes, courtesy of the LCAC
The 2023 Mariachi Estelares de Colorado onstage at Levitt Pavilion on September 16, 2023. Photo: Anthony Maes, courtesy of the LCAC
Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival 2022 Gallery
The Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform to a crowd at the Levitt Pavilion in Denver. Photo: Eric Einstein, courtesy of the LCAC
The Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform to a crowd at the Levitt Pavilion in Denver. Photo: Eric Einstein, courtesy of the LCAC
The Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform to a crowd at the Levitt Pavilion in Denver. Photo: Eric Einstein, courtesy of the LCAC
The Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform to a crowd at the Levitt Pavilion in Denver. Photo: Eric Einstein, courtesy of the LCAC
The Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform to a crowd at the Levitt Pavilion in Denver. Photo: Eric Einstein, courtesy of the LCAC
The Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform to a crowd at the Levitt Pavilion in Denver. Photo: Eric Einstein, courtesy of the LCAC
The Mariachi Estelares de Colorado perform to a crowd at the Levitt Pavilion in Denver. Photo: Eric Einstein, courtesy of the LCAC
The Mariachi Estelares de Colorado, Photo: Eric Einstein, courtesy of the LCAC
The Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival on September 25, 2022. Photo: Eric Einstein, courtesy of the LCAC
