Viva Southwest Mariachi logo with MSU Denver and LCAC logos

Mariachi Estelares de Colorado

Members of the Mariachi Estelares de Colorado standing together with their instruments

Auditions are now open for the 2023 Mariachi Estelares de Colorado, Colorado’s All-State Youth Mariachi Ensemble! 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 and open for the headlining act at the Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival concert in September 2023.

Audition Information

Eligibility: 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: We are accepting auditions for violin, trumpet, harp, guitarron, guitarra and vihuela.

Audition Requirement: 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. Further details are below.

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 Workshops & Showcase event April 14-15, 2023 for the public announcement.

Deadline Extended! Submit your Audition Application by March 17, 2023.

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)

Audition Application

Once your video is ready to share, fill out the audition application below. Auditions must be submitted by March 17, 2023.

Audition Application

Selected Participant Expectations

Lupita Infante performing on pink and purple stage 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. Participants can expect to attend at least four rehearsals in Denver during the summer of 2023, and perform as the opening act for a major headliner at the Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival in September 2023. Details for the festival will be announced soon.

Last year’s all-state group opened for Grammy-winning Mariachi superstar Lupita Infante during the Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival at the Levitt Pavilion in Denver!