UTSA students will receive a special end of the semester treat with Jonathan Palomar of the world renowned and Mexico City based Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. Jonathan will be at UTSA’s Recital Hall on the Main Campus on Thursday, December 5 at 11:30 am to conduct a master class on voice, performance and interpretation.
Jonathan’s greatness can be attributed to the fact that he descends from a legendary musical family. His father Rafael Palomar was a vocalist and guitarist with Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán for 23 years (1980 – 2003) and his grandfather Roman Palomar is most known for as author of the famous cumbia El Mariachi Loco.
Since joining Mariachi Vargas in 2017, Jonathan has had a tight touring and recording schedule. He has performed with Mariachi Vargas in nearly 130 concerts with the international Latin superstar Luis Miguel on his ¡México Por Siempre! Tour and dozens more with Mariachi Vargas’ Banda al Recordo tour. In addition, he participated in Mariachi Vargas’ latest symphonic album Concierto Sinfónico 120 Años and continues to spend much of his time on the road performing with Vargas throughout the U.S. and Mexico.
Jonathan’s stunning interpretation of traditional mariachi classics captures the hearts of audiences throughout the world. His performance of “LLamarada” from the 2018 Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza was captured on film and premiered at the San Antonio Film Festival at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts this Summer where it received a roaring applause.
Jonathan will intertwine singing with sharing tips on voice, performance and interpretation that vocalists from any genre can appreciate. He will discuss some of the songs he sings in Vargas’ current repertoire and touch on his journey towards becoming a lead vocalist and guitarist for Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán.
“This is a great end of the year celebration to UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and a great start for our 25th,” says Cynthia Muñoz Producer of the 25th Annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza and UTSA Alum (88’). “It’s exciting to collaborate with the UTSA Music Department to bring class-act artists like Jonathan on campus,” she added.
Jonathan’s UTSA Master Class is sponsored in part by Gonzaba Medical Group, H.E.B. and Valero, sponsors of the Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza.
Mariachi Vargas performs Saturday, December 7 at the Lila Cockrell Theatre. Tickets range in price from $46-$206 and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, at the Alamodome Box Office, or by calling 1-800-745-3000.
