ABOUT
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. In 2023 Martinez graduated from his MMA in opera 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.) In 2024 , Martinez won the first prize at the Linus Lerner competition as well as the Linus Lerner award, this was the first iteration of an international competition in Colombia. During his time with the Washington National Opera, Martinez has received praise for his numerous features in their AOI as well as mainstage productions.
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, Zuñiga in Carmen, Baloo in Kamala Sankaram's The Jungle Book, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia, Colline in La Bohème, Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
This season, Mr. Martinez makes house débuts at Virginia Opera as the King of Egypt in Aida and Opera Southwest to sing the role of Cesar Chavez in Dolores. Additionally, he will return to his expressive Baloo for Resonance Works’ production of The Jungle Book at the Andrew Carnegie Music Hall in Pennsylvania. Last season, Mr. Martinez made several company débuts across the country, joining Des Moines Metro Opera as the Second Soldier in Salome, portraying Zuñiga in Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s production of Carmen, and joining the Spoleto Festival to sing the role of Palémon in Thais. In addition, he portrayed the role of Osvaldo in Washington National Opera’s AOI presentation of Tati, a new commission by Kyle Brenn and Lex Brown.