Viva Southwest Mariachi Conference

The Metropolitan State University of Denver Department of Music along with the Latino Cultural Arts Center (LCAC) welcome you back to the Auraria Campus for the 8th Viva Southwest Mariachi Conference on April 17 and 18, 2026!

Our mission is to build Colorado as a national center for Mariachi excellence by building a pipeline of talent from the community to higher education and professional careers.

We will have three levels of classes: beginner, intermediate and advanced. We will have masterclasses for ensembles that audition for them (extra cost) through an online portal. Finally, we will have two concerts: on Friday, local all-female mariachi Las Dahlias (mariachi-in-residence at Casa Bonita) will perform with participants and school ensembles. On Saturday, April 18, we will have our Showcase concert featuring members of the world-famous Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez sharing the stage with the masterclass ensembles, with the best ensemble (voted on by a jury of faculty) being granted the title “El Rey de las Montañas”.