The list of finalists for the 21^st Annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza National Vocal Competition has now been posted at mariachimusic.com!

Many thanks to all of the students who entered this year’s contest. More entries were received from outside of Texas than ever before. The Extravaganza continues to expand throughout the nation and grow more competitive every year. It’s simply amazing to see all of the incredible talent there is, and the passion that our young generation has for mariachi music!

We truly wish we could have had all the entrants compete, but that simply wasn’t possible. This year, we pushed the limit and accepted 42 finalists in four categories: Elementary School, Middle School, High School, and College/University.

This year’s Vocal Competition will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at the Lila Cockrell Theatre. The event begins at 9 a.m. with the Elementary School category, and ends at approximately 1 p.m. with the College/University category. First, second and third place winners will be selected in each division. One student will be selected as the “Best Mariachi Vocalist in the U.S.” and will be invited to open for Mariachi Vargas that same evening at 7:30 p.m. in the same theater. Additional prizes such as scholarships and grants will be awarded to this “Best Mariachi Vocalist” winner.

The MC for this 21^st annual Vocal Competition will be the charming and talented Vanessa Cerda Alonso. Vanessa was selected by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán as the “Best Mariachi Vocalist in the U.S.” in 1999. Among many other accomplishments, she has appeared in two mariachi operas: Cruzar la Cara de la Luna with the Houston Grand Opera, and El Pasado Nunca se Termina with the Chicago Lyric Opera.

The Vocal Competition is one of the most exciting events to take place each year during the Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza. Mariachi directors, parents, family and friends provide tremendous year-round support to ensure their students are prepared for this competition. We appreciate all they do to help make this event the best it can possibly be.

Everyone is invited to attend the Vocal Competition, as well as the Group Competition. You may purchase a wristband for both at the entrance to the Lila Cockrell Theater on Friday or Saturday prior to these events. The same wristband allows for entry into both competitions. Please leave your wristband on for both days, because if you remove it, you will have to purchase a new one! Do encourage all of your friends and family to attend, as a substantial portion of the money collected from the mariachi competitions is awarded in prizes to schools and vocalists.

Congratulations to the students who made the finals! For those who did not, we encourage you to try again next year. Everyone who entered this competition is automatically registered, at no additional cost, for the workshops on Friday, November 20 at the Lila Cockrell Theatre. We look forward to seeing you all there.

Tickets for the 21^st Annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza concert on Saturday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m. may be purchased through ticketmaster.com. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Alamodome Box Office (south entrance) or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

There are less than 30 days left until the Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza. We look forward to seeing you all there very soon!

—Cynthia