Thank you to everyone for your incredible support of the 2nd Annual Mariachi Extravaganza Las Vegas this past weekend. What an impressive and truly unforgettable event it was—nothing short of mind-blowing.

The caliber of talent across Las Vegas, from middle school to high school ensembles, was outstanding, and the vocal competitions were equally captivating from start to finish. We are deeply grateful to the parents, families, friends, and maestros whose dedication and hard work made these performances possible. Your commitment to these students and to the art form continues to inspire us all.

The weekend culminated in a star-studded concert that felt every bit as grand as the very best productions Las Vegas has to offer. It was, without a doubt, an extraordinary celebration of talent—simply phenomenal.

And now… let’s meet the winners.

High School Group Winners

1st Place – Mariachi Joya, Las Vegas High School, Las Vegas, NV
2nd Place – Mariachi Internacional de Las Vegas Academy, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, Las Vegas, NV
3rd Place – Mariachi Cristal, Las Vegas High School, Las Vegas, NV

High School Sectionals

Best Violins Section:
Mariachi Joya, Las Vegas High School, Las Vegas, NV
Best Armonias Section:
Mariachi Joya, Las Vegas High School, Las Vegas, NV
Best Trumpets Section:
Mariachi Joya, Las Vegas High School, Las Vegas, NV

Middle School Group Winners

1st Place – Mariachi los Gavilanes, Monaco Middle School, Las Vegas, NV
2nd Place – Mariachi Alas Doradas, Duane D. Keller Middle School, Las Vegas, NV
3rd Place – Mariachi los Pumas, K.O. Knudson Academy of the Arts, Las Vegas, NV

Middle School Sectionals

Best Violin Section:
Mariachi los Gavilanes, Monaco Middle School, Las Vegas, NV
Best Armonias Section:
Mariachi Alas Doradas, Duane D. Keller Middle School, Las Vegas, NV
Best Trumpets Section:
Mariachi los Gavilanes, Monaco Middle School, Las Vegas, NV
Recipient of a $4,500 Jupiter trumpet donated by KHS Alianza Academica

VOCALS

College/University Vocal Winners

1st Place – Zayden Longoria, University of Houston, Houston, TX
$1,000 Scholarship Recipient
2nd Place – Nicole Lillingston, College of the Canyons, Pacoima, CA
$750 Scholarship Recipient
3rd Place – Joselyn Gutierrez, Nevada State University, Las Vegas, NV
$500 Scholarship Recipient

High School Vocal Winners

1st Place – Melanie Linares, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, Las Vegas, NV
$1,000 Scholarship Recipient
2nd Place – Mariana Carbajal, Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts, Las Vegas, NV
$750 Scholarship Recipient
3rd Place – Betsy Garcia, Las Vegas High School, Las Vegas, NV
$500 Scholarship Recipient

Middle School Vocal Winners

1st Place – Mairim Iniguez, Monaco Middle School, Las Vegas, NV
$1,000 Scholarship Recipient
2nd Place – Alexia Orta, Houston Academy, Houston, TX
$750 Scholarship Recipient
3rd Place – Valerie Romero Garcia, K.O. Knudson Academy of the Arts, Las Vegas, NV
$500 Scholarship Recipient

Elementary School Vocal Winners

1st Place – Alessandra Karina Gutierrez, Voorhies Elementary, Bakersfield, CA
$1,000 Scholarship Recipient
2nd Place – Yamileth Arellano, Wallace Stegner Academy, Kearns, UT
$750 Scholarship Recipient
3rd Place – Matteo Alvarez, Yes Prep North Forest Elementary, Houston, TX
$500 Scholarship Recipient

Thanks to our collaboration with UNLV School of Music, we have awarded $15,000 to competition winners in scholarships, grants, trophies, medals and prizes to Mariachi Extravaganza competition winners.

It was such as great event with many highlights throughout the day but the concert is what really brought the house down. As first place vocal winners, Alessandra, Mairim, Melanie and Zayden were all impressive on their own. Miriam’s rendition of Yo Me Muero Donde Quiera was spot on. Her energy, confidence and charisma at a middle school level impressed even the most sophisticated audiences. Las Vegas High School’s Mariachi Joya took first place in the Mariachi Group High School Competition and their performance was mesmerizing. They selected a son – Mexicanissimo en la Noche –  written by Sergio Caratachea (director of Mariachi International for many years). The song highlighted Brian Bautista, Mario Paisano and Gael Nolasco singing in a trio and it was non other than breathtaking. Stephen Blanco saw the strength in his group and made this song work so beatifully by adding a unique spin to Sergio’s work. Juan Elizondo’s violin solo in El Gustito was also a highlight. As director of Mariachi Revolución Juan definitely proved his talent and his leadership capabilities. Cecilia Violetta Lopez belted out the lyrics to this song while he played the violin solo and it was a very happy moment in the show that gave audiences more than what they expected. It was hard to imagine that the show could get any better but then Jonathan came out and brought forth a whole new dimension to the show. He selected an excellent repertoire that included a Porpurri de Ramo Ayala, Popurri Vicente Fernandez and his latest solo recording of Antes de Ti. His duet in singing The Prayer was icing on the cake. This entire show needs to be a Vegas staple. It was over-the-top!!!

Once again, a million thanks to everyone who contributed towards this event especially our presenting sponsors UNLV School of Music/Mariachi Revolución, KHS America Alianza Academica and The Garcia Udall Family Foundation. Supporting sponsors included JP Morgan and The Tuttleman Foundation. Media sponsors included La Tremenda Radio and Telemundo and additional support was provided by Las Vegas Opera and Mariachi Nuestras Raices. For now, the show is over and we can hold our heads high and be proud of over 50 incredible performances we had the pleasure of enjoying in Vegas.

Thank you Stephen Blanco for going above and beyond your call of duty to bring in all of the elements that made Saturday, March 28, 2026 a day we’ll always remember!

Click here for news coverage

Mariachi Extravaganza La Vegas Winners

Now, on to the next one…Serenata a las Madres: A Heartfelt Tribute on Saturday, May 2 at the Cave Without A Name in Boerne, Texas. This is a smaller show for an intimate crowd of 200 people but equally as fabulous as all of the others. MPR is proud to present another form of entertainment that spotlights the traditional trios of Mexico. If you want a truly unique experience with some more class act artists, plan to join us for this event, and, get your tickets early as it will sell out!!! Purchase tickets Here!