Dr. Mario E. Martínez is an esteemed baritone with a distinguished career in opera, oratorio, and musical theater. He has performed leading roles with notable organizations including Finger Lakes Opera, Sociedad Proarte Latinoamericana, Rochester Lyric Opera, Mercury Opera, Buffalo Opera Unlimited, Opera de las Américas, Compañía Lírica Dominicana, and Eastman Opera Theater, among many others. He has appeared with prestigious ensembles like the Buffalo Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic, Symphoria, Charleston Symphony, Rochester Oratorio Society, Western New York Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras of Santo Domingo, Orchard Park Chorale and Symphony, New Eastman Symphony, and Eastman Philharmonia. His performances have taken him to concert venues in Jinan, China, the United Kingdom, the Dominican Republic, and the Merkin Concert Hall in New York City.
Martínez is a recipient of several honors, including being named an Honorary Member of the National Company of Classical Singers in the Dominican Republic. At Nazareth University, he served as Interim Dean of Visual & Performing Arts in the College of Arts & Sciences, where he has also held roles as Associate Dean, Director of the School of Music, Program Director, and Coordinator of Vocal Studies. In addition to his leadership, he has received the Teaching Excellence Award and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Faculty Award.
An experienced administrator and advocate for the arts, Martínez has served at local, regional, national, and international levels. He served as Governor for the Eastern Region of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) for two consecutive periods, and has held leadership other positions in NATS, including President of the Central New York-Finger Lakes Chapter and Chair of the NATS Intern Program. In 2015, he was reappointed as Arts Consultant for the Ministry of Culture in the Dominican Republic.
Martínez's students frequently perform in leading roles in professional opera and musical theater productions and have received recognition through national, regional, and local competitions. His students have been accepted into top graduate and undergraduate programs and international training programs in vocal performance and musical theater.
A respected educator and mentor, Martínez has served as a guest adjudicator, clinician, artist teacher, vocal coach, stage director, and musical director at various levels. He holds a Doctorate and Masters’ degree in Vocal Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music and a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Sociology from Luther College. Martínez is an inducted member of Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Delta Pi, and Pi Kappa Lambda.
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Education