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All-State Festival Conductors
The Nevada Music Educators Association (NMEA) is hosting the All-State Festival, which features guest conductors from diverse professional backgrounds. These conductors bring a wealth of experience in music education, encompassing both elementary and secondary schools as well as university, military, and professional levels. Our goal is to provide our students and teachers with a unique musical, motivational, and educational experience.
2026 Nevada All-State High School
Band Conductor
High School Band Conductor
Julie Ann Giroux
Conductor, Composer, and Arranger
Emmy Award Winner ​
Julie Ann Giroux was born December 12, 1961, in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Being in a travelling Air Force family, she was raised in Fairhaven, MA, San Fernando Valley, CA, Camden and Harmony Grove, AR, Phoenix, Arizona and Monroe, Louisiana. She received her formal education from Louisiana State University where she majored in music performance. She studied composition and/or worked alongside of notable composers such as: John Williams, Bill Conti, and Jerry Goldsmith, Greig McRitchie, Charlie Bernstein, Jack Eskew and Ashley Irwin, just to name a few. Julie is an accomplished performer on piano and horn, but her first love is composition. She began playing the piano at the age of three and had her first published work for piano at the age of nine.
In 1985, she started composing, orchestrating, and conducting music for television and films. Just hours after her college graduation, she accepted a job working under the Academy Award winning composer Bill Conti in Los Angeles. Her first project was working on the music for the Emmy Award winning mini-series North and South. That was followed soon by work on the television series Dynasty, The Colbys, Hill Street Blues, Cagney and Lacey, as well as the films Karate Kid II, April Fool’s Day, Blaze, White Men Can’t Jump, and Broadcast News.
Julie has also been privileged to collaborate with dozens of film composers, producers, and celebrities including Samuel Goldwyn, Martin Scorsese, Chevy Chase and Clint Eastwood. She has also arranged for Celine Dion, Paula Abdul, Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, Madonna, Reba McIntyre, Little Richard, Billy Crystal, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Reba McIntyre, Paul Newman, Harry Connick Jr., and many, many others. She received her first Emmy nomination in 1988 for North and South Part II – Love and War, and over the next three years was nominated each year for her arranging and original compositions for the Academy Awards show. To date, Julie has well over 100 film, television, Orchestral and video game credits and has been nominated for an Emmy several times.
In 1992 she won her first Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Direction for the 64th Annual Academy Awards, ABC. She was the first woman and youngest person ever to win the award in that category. She has won the same Emmy award a total of three times.
Julie is an extremely well-rounded composer, writing works for symphony orchestra, chamber ensembles, wind ensembles, choirs, soloists, brass and woodwind quintets and many other serious and commercial formats. She has composed and published numerous works for professional wind ensembles, military bands, colleges, and public schools and has conducted her music worldwide. She regularly makes appearances as both a speaker and clinician of many national clinics including the American Band College and the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. Julie began to compose heavily for concert bands and orchestras starting in 1992. Currently, Mrs. Giroux has well over 200 titles.
In May of 2018, Julie was named to the J.W. Pepper 19 Groundbreaking Women Composers. This honor was only
bestowed upon seven currently living composers. Julie is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors,
and Publishers (ASCAP), the first woman composer inducted into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association
(ABA) in 2010, and an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma where she received the
Distinguished Service to Music Medal in 2017. In 2021, Julie was awarded the Midwest Clinic Medal of Honor. In
January of 2021, Julie was programmed by “The Presidents Own” United States Marine Band for the Presidential
Inauguration. Her piece, Integrity Fanfare and March, was performed for the entrance of Vice-President Kamala
Harris. This was the first time that a woman has ever been programmed for the presidential inaugural ceremony. Mrs.
Giroux was programmed again for the 2025 presidential inauguration, this time her Medalist Fanfare.
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On June 21, 2025, Julie Giroux was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Women Song Writers, Composers, Performers and Producers. Julie is an extremely prolific composer and continues to compose, orchestrate, and arrange for television, movies, video games, wind bands, and orchestras.
2026 Nevada All-State Middle School band Conductor
Middle School Band Conductor
Robert Tyrome Herrings
Director of Bands
Vista Ridge High School, Texas​
Robert Tyrome Herrings, III is in his twenty-first year of teaching and has been teaching in Leander ISD since 2004. Prior to his appointment as the Director of Bands at Vista Ridge High School, he was the Director of Bands at Artie Henry Middle School in Cedar Park, Texas.
In 2003, Mr. Herrings received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he studied under Michael Haithcock, Jeff Grogan, Dr. Kevin Sedatole and Barry Hopper. While in college, Mr. Herrings was a member of the Baylor University performing wind bands, as well as a member of the Baylor University Golden Wave Band.
At Henry Middle School, Mr. Herrings conducts the Honors Band, and assists with the Symphonic Band and Concert Band. He also teaches beginning clarinet, saxophone, horn and trumpet. Mr. Herrings’ bands have consistently received UIL Sweepstakes ratings, as well as unanimous first division ratings, Best In Class, and Overall Outstanding Band honors at festivals around the state. From 2009-2023, the program at Henry earned distinction as a National Wind Band Honors Class AA winner, and in 2008 and 2013, the Henry Middle School Honors Band was selected to perform at the Western International Band Clinic in Seattle, Washington. The program was named the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2024 TMEA Class CCC Honor Band and was also selected to perform at the 2010, 2012, 2016 and 2022 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. In June 2011, Mr. Herrings and the program were awarded the prestigious John Philip Sousa Foundation Sudler Silver Cup Award, and in July of the same year, Mr. Herrings was named the Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Young Bandmaster of the Year. In 2018, the Henry MS Band Program was selected as the Texas Bandmasters Association Exemplary Middle School Band Award winner. Most recently, the program at Henry MS was named the National Band Association's Programs of Excellence Blue Ribbon Band Award winner.
An active clinician and adjudicator around the state, Mr. Herrings is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, American Bandmasters Association as well as an educational consultant for the Conn-Selmer Division of Education. Mr. Herrings also serves as the TMEA Region 32 Middle School Band Chair, as well as the Region 32 TBA representative. He is honored to be a member of Phi Beta Mu and a mentor to new-to-profession teachers at Henry Middle School. Most recently, Mr. Herrings was inducted into the American Bandmaster Association.
Mr. Herrings enjoys motivating young musicians to achieve the highest level of performance by sharing his extreme love and passion for music with them on a daily basis. He feels honored, privileged and extremely blessed to have a loving mother and grandmother, many great mentors, band directors and close friends who have influenced his career thus far.
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2026 Nevada All-State High School
Orchestra Conductor
High School Orchestra Conductor
Dr. Michael Stanley
Conductor of the Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra​​​
DR. MICHAEL STANLEY is a multi-talented conductor, instrumentalist and music educator based in Southern California, who has performed in such world-renowned venues as Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and UCLA’s Royce Hall. As a conductor, his performances have garnered outstanding reviews, with the Los Angeles Times proclaiming that “…[his] ensemble performed beautifully.” He is currently the Music Director and Conductor of the Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra and the Westlake Village Symphony.
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Dr. Stanley has conducted both nationally and internationally, appearing as a guest conductor with orchestras ranging from the West Valley Symphony in Surprise, AZ to the Beach Cities Symphony in Southern California. He also directed the orchestra at the finals of the most recent Christopher Parkening International Guitar Competition. Dr. Stanley’s versatility has led him to conduct numerous pit orchestras for shows ranging from Sweeney Todd to Jesus Christ Superstar.
An advocate for new music, he has commissioned, conducted and premiered many compositions in a variety of genres by well-known composers, including Americans Peter Boyer and Eric Ewazen. As a concerto conductor, he has collaborated with such notables as David Singer, Principal Clarinet Emeritus of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and world-famous saxophonist Harvey Pittel, as well as numerous talented young soloists through his work with the Burbank Philharmonic’s Hennings-Fischer Young Artist Competition.
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Dr. Stanley is a devoted music educator who provides musical opportunities to young people from diverse communities. In his role as a conductor with the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) program, an El Sistema-based music education program, he provides music instruction to underserved youth in the Los Angeles area. He is also proud to be the director of the Burbank Philharmonic’s “Discovery Conductor Project,” a unique program for high school conductors which provides mentoring and performance experience with a professional orchestra.
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During his more than 20 years of music teaching experience, he has served on the faculties of College of the Canyons and Los Angeles Valley College and been honored as “Teacher of the Year” for his outstanding teaching and dedication to his students. He is also a sought-after festival adjudicator and clinician throughout Southern California.​
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Dr. Stanley holds a DMA in Conducting from Claremont Graduate University, where he studied with Dr. David Rentz. He received his MM in Orchestral Conducting from California State University, Long Beach, under the tutelage of the late Dr. Richard Rintoul. Among his many additional conducting teachers and mentors are Kenneth Kiesler, Jeffrey Schindler, Neil Thomson, Scott Weiss and Gary Pratt. Dr. Stanley earned his BA in Music summa cum laude from UCLA, majoring in French horn with Richard Todd. He continues to play horn regularly in regional orchestras throughout Southern California.
2026 Nevada All-State Middle School
Orchestra Conductor
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Middle School Orchestra Conductor
Dr. LaSaundra J. Belcher
Chair of NAfME’s Council for Orchestral Education
Shenandoah University
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Dr. LaSaundra Belcher is a respected conductor, music educator, and arts leader with over 20 years of experience in public schools, higher education, and community music programs. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Wake Forest Community Youth Orchestra in North Carolina, where she leads initiatives that expand access to high-quality music instruction for students from rural and under-resourced communities. Dr. Belcher is chair of NAfME’s Council for Orchestral Education and serves on the Conducting Committee for the American String Teacher’s Association (ASTA).
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Dr. Belcher is a sought-after guest conductor and clinician for All-State and Honors Orchestras across the country, with recent engagements in Montana, Georgia, California, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, and Florida. She is also a featured speaker at major music education conferences, including the Texas Music Educators Association, Michigan Music Conference, Florida Music Educators Association’s Emerging Leaders Program, and NAfME’s Pacific Northwest Conference. In February, Dr. Belcher will serve as an adjudicator for the American String Teachers Association’s prestigious National Orchestra Festival.
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In addition to her national presentations, she provides professional development for music educators, equipping teachers with practical strategies to foster student success, increase engagement, and strengthen music programs. Dr. Belcher teaches at Shenandoah University, where she equips aspiring arts entrepreneurs with the tools to build successful, sustainable businesses. Her work reflects a deep commitment to inspiring joy through music, fostering student growth, and empowering educators to create uplifting, engaging learning experiences for all students.
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2026 Nevada High School All-State Choral Conductors
​TTB High School Choir Conductor
Dr Robert Sinclair
Director of Choral Activites
VanderCook College
Dean of Graduate Studies Dr. Robert L. Sinclair has served VanderCook College of Music as Director of Choral Activities since 2001. His educational background includes three years at Luther College, where he sang in the Nordic Choir under the direction of Weston Noble. After transferring to Sam Houston State University, he completed his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Music degrees with B.R. Henson. In December of 2000, Dr. Sinclair completed a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction (music education) at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he worked with Drs. David Rayl and Wendy Sims.
Dr. Sinclair has 10 years of public school teaching experience and has presented sessions to the Music Educators Associations of Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and Texas, the Illinois Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), as well as the Southwestern and Southern Divisions of ACDA. He continues to work as an active choral clinician and adjudicator for junior high and high school students from across the nation and abroad, including honor choirs in Australia, The Bahamas, Canada, and Japan in addition to all-state choirs in Illinois and Wisconsin. Dr. Sinclair is an active member of ACDA, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity, Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honors Fraternity, and the National Association for Music Education.
​SSA High School All-State Choir Conductor
Cindy Ellis
Choral Director, Miami Arts Studio
A native of Holguín, Cuba, Cindy Ellis immigrated to the United States in 2005. She earned her Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education and Jazz Voice from Florida International University and her Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Missouri. Mrs. Ellis is a full time choral director at Miami Arts Studio, a 6th-12th grade public performing arts magnet school in Miami, FL. Her middle school and high school ensembles have been featured at numerous venues throughout the country. These include Carnegie Hall (2018 and 2024), and the Florida, Southern, and National Conferences of the American Choral Directors Association. In 2022, Mrs. Ellis’ students performed in Los Angeles for the Summit of the Americas, a meeting hosted by President Joe Biden that brought together 40 Presidents and leaders from the Americas and Caribbean. Additionally, in the last 7 years, the students have recorded and performed background vocals for Gloria and Emilio Estefan and several music award shows including the AMAs, Latin American Music Awards and the Latin GRAMMY Awards. In 2024 Mrs. Ellis conducted her students at the Miami show of Jacob Collier’s DJESSE Volume 4 World Tour. Beyond her school responsibilities, she frequently performs, conducts honor choirs and teaches masterclasses for music directors and students from elementary to college throughout North America. As a jazz vocal soloist and alto with the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers, she collaborated with Jacob Collier for performances at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and recording projects including a performance alongside Coldplay for NBC’s Saturday Night Live and the 2024 BBC Proms Music Festival in London, UK.
In 2020, Mrs. Ellis was published by GIA Publications as a contributing author on “Teaching with Heart,” and in 2022, she served as instructional design editor and contributing author of “Teaching Beyond the Music,” the second edition in the series. Ellis is Miami Arts Studio’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, a 2025 Grammy Music Educator Semi-Finalist, and currently serves as the World Musics & Cultures Coordinator for the American Choral Directors Association Southern Region.
2026 Nevada All-State Vocal Jazz Conductors
​Vocal Jazz All-State Choir Conductor
Ryan Holder Franke
Associate Director of Choral Studies
Northern Arizona University
Ryan W. Holder is the Associate Director of Choral Studies at Northern Arizona University, where he directs the Women’s Chorale, Northern Voices and High Altitude vocal jazz ensembles, teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting and choral methods, supervises choral student teachers, and serves as the adviser for the NAU student chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. Ryan received his doctoral degree in the Fall 2007, from the University of Miami in addition to bachelors and masters degrees from Southern Oregon University and University of Northern Colorado, respectively.
A native Oregonian, Ryan graduated from South Medford High School and served as the Director of Choirs at Grants Pass High School from 1997-2001. During his tenure in Grants Pass his choirs won awards and accolades in both vocal jazz and traditional choral music, and his Melodairs women’s choir took first prize in the women’s choir division at the Vienna Youth and Music Festival in 2001.
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Dr. Holder has given lectures and presentations at local, state, and regional American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and the National Music Educators Association conventions, and recently gave a lecture on “Male Choir Directors: Working with and Relating to Beginning Women’s Choirs” at the 2009 ACDA National Convention in Oklahoma City. He has conducted honor choirs in Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Montana, and Hawaii. His ensembles have been invited to perform throughout the Southwest, including performances at state and regional ACDA conferences. Dr. Holder serves as the Arizona State ACDA President as well as the ACDA National Committee on Technology.
Ryan also serves as the Director of Music at The Church of the Red Rocks in Sedona and is proud to serve as the Artistic Director of The Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers.
2026 Nevada All-State Middle School Choral Conductor
Middle School Choir Conductor
Laura Farnell
Composer, Conductor and Educator
Laura Farnell has a passion for making music with singers, working with educators, and creating accessible and artistic choral compositions. After receiving her BME in Choral Music (piano emphasis) from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, Laura taught elementary music for two years in Mansfield ISD, followed by eight years of junior high choir in Arlington ISD. She was honored by her schools with Teacher of the Year awards in 2000 and 2003, and she received an Excellence in Education Award in 2004 as Arlington ISD's outstanding junior high teacher of the year.
Laura presently lives in Arlington, Texas, and serves as a choral adjudicator and an invited music conference presenter/clinician for district, region, and state honor choirs across the country. As a composer, she especially enjoys writing and arranging music for developing choirs and has more than one hundred choral compositions in publication, including many commissioned pieces and a co-authored choral sightreading method book. She currently edits the E2A Choral series through Alliance Music Publications.
She and her husband, Russell, and their two sons (all singers), attend First Presbyterian Church of Arlington where Russell serves as Minister of Music and Laura directs the youth and children's choirs.
2026 Nevada All-State High School Jazz Conductor
High School Jazz Conductor
Dave Clark
Director of the Jazz Studies
University of Louisville
Dave began playing violin in sixth grade and saxophone in seventh grade. Having played both throughout public school, he studied saxophone performance at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas, received a BM in music education and a MM in jazz performance from the University of Louisville in Kentucky. While at Ouachita, he was introduced to jazz and cites Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, and Branford Marsalis as major influences. As a student at U of L, Dave won the school’s Concerto Competetion where he performed the Glazounov Saxophone Concerto and received a Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Performance at the 2006 Notre Dame Jazz Festival. Dave has had the good fortune to study with Harry Pickens, Don Braden, Wessell Anderson, Sim Flora, and Branford Marsalis.
Dave has performed with such diverse artists as Benny Golson, Clark Terry, Randy Brecker, Stanley Turrentine, James Moody, Christian McBride, Kevin Mahogany, Harry Pickens, Nancy Wilson, Jack Harlow, Miles Griffith, Tammy McCann, Marcus Johnson, the Louisville Orchestra, the Dells, and Delfeayo Marsalis. Dave has performed at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy, and the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Montreaux, Switzerland. He has also performed as part of a good will tour and educational exchange program in Barbados. Additionally, Dave has performed as a special guest with the Juggernaught Jug Band for a Ted Talk themed Keep It Simple at TedX Indianapolis, as well as for Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla. While still in Arkansas, he also opened concerts for Herb Ellis and Dave Brubeck.
Dave also played in the sax section with the Louisville Orchestra featuring pianist Yuja Wang on the Grammy-winning work, The American Project.
Dave makes his home in Louisville, KY, where he serves as Director of the Jazz Studies program and Associate Professor of Saxophone at the University of Louisville. Dave has also served on the faculty of Jamey Aebersold's Summer Jazz Camps. In addition, Dave serves as the Executive Director and Education Director of the Louisville Jazz Initiative (LJI), a non-profit inter-generational coalition of musicians and educators committed to the authentic teaching and performing of jazz; that is, in a way that preserves the connection between the art form and its cultural and historical context, highlights the inherent value of each individual’s experience and expression, and empowers its participants to advocate for social and racial justice. Dave is currently an ABD, PhD doctoral candidate in Higher Education Leadership at Bellarmine University's Annsley Frazier Thornton's School of Education. His doctoral studies center on utilizing music education to teach social justice issues.
2026 Nevada All-State Guitar Conductor
High School Guitar Conductor
Dr. Sungmin Shin
Associate Professor of Guitar
University at Buffalo, State University of New York
Korean-born American musician Sungmin Shin maintains a vigorous schedule seamlessly navigating the unpredictable musical landscape of the 21st century. Dr. Shin is an artist-teacher, arts leadership advocate, composer, consultant, engineer-producer, ensemble director, entrepreneur, improviser, multi-instrumentalist, music theorist, and scholar. Redefining what it means to be genre-bending, Sungmin balances his serious classical training with his deep roots in diverse musical cultures to seek new modes of expression through performance, improvisation, and composition. He is frequently invited to adjudicate, compose, perform, speak, and teach at major international competitions, events, and festivals including the Guitar Foundation of America International Convention & Competition, Iserlohn International Guitar Festival (Germany), Rochester International Jazz Festival, and many more. Known for his artistic and professional collaborative work in music and with interdisciplinary projects, Sungmin is a member of the internationally acclaimed guitar ensemble Tantalus Quartet and 8-piece rock band Lauren & the Good Souls.
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Dr. Shin is a devoted educator that believes high quality music education should be available and accessible to all students and shares his passion for music with students of all ages and levels. He is Associate Professor of Practice at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York where he directs the guitar program and guitar ensembles. He has presented concerts and masterclasses at top level university music programs including at the Eastman School of Music, Seoul National University of Education (South Korea), Shenandoah Conservatory, University of Louisville, University of South Carolina, and more. Former students of Dr. Shin are currently working as professional musicians in Western NY and beyond and have gained admission to top music schools such as Belmont, Berklee, Eastman, Northwestern, North Texas and many more at the undergraduate and graduate levels with scholarships. Dr. Shin is the Artistic Director of the Buffalo International Guitar Festival and the founder/co-director of the UB International Guitar Research Conference. Also, he is a long time guitar faculty member of Guitar Workshop Plus and has taught and served as the assistant director at the various campuses of the workshop including Fort Lauderdale, Nashville, San Diego, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver. Dr. Shin is the founder and former director of the Penfield Guitar School. Sungmin plays and endorses D’Addario String.
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2025 Nevada All-State High School
Mariachi Conductor
High School Mariachi Conductor
Alberto Jiménez
Musician, Arranger, Composer, Director, and Producer
Born in Mexico City, Alberto Jiménez is a distinguished figure in the world of mariachi music. His musical journey began in 1985 when he joined the renowned Mariachi De América, under the leadership of maestro Jesús Rodríguez de Hijar. For two decades, from 1985 to 2005, Jiménez played a pivotal role in this prestigious ensemble, spending the final ten years as its Musical Director. During this time, he collaborated closely with Rodríguez de Hijar, co-producing and arranging three albums (Volumes 1, 2, and 3), leaving an indelible mark on the group's legacy.
Jiménez's extraordinary talent and versatility as a musician made him a sought-after accompanist for some of the most iconic voices in Latin music. He has performed alongside legends such as Lola Beltrán, Rocío Dúrcal, Aida Cuevas, Amalia Mendoza, Lucha Villa, Miguel Aceves Mejía, Vicente Fernández, and Luis Miguel, earning widespread recognition and respect in the industry.
Beyond his performances, Jiménez has played a vital role in promoting mariachi music globally. He has participated in over 18 International Mariachi and Charrería Encounters in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, a festival dedicated to celebrating mariachi traditions. In 2002, his contribution to the documentary "Mariachi: The Spirit of Mexico" helped bring the rich cultural heritage of this genre to a wider audience. Jiménez has also shared his expertise with aspiring musicians, teaching at numerous Mariachi Festivals and Conferences across the United States, including cities like Albuquerque, New Mexico; Chula Vista, California; Wenatchee, Washington; New York City; Tucson, Arizona; and San Antonio, Texas.
In 2006, Jiménez relocated to Los Angeles, where his career reached new heights. He became instrumental in the production and arrangement of music for the Mariachi Divas, a collaboration that resulted in two Grammy Awards and eight nominations, two of which were for his work as a composer. His contributions extended to other musical projects, including the 2017 Disney California Adventure production of "Coco – Plaza de la Familia," where he served as an arranger and musician.
Today, Alberto Jiménez continues to shape the future of mariachi music as a musician, arranger, composer, director, and producer. His unwavering dedication to preserving and advancing the art of mariachi has solidified his position as one of the genre's most influential figures, ensuring that the rich tradition of mariachi continues to thrive for future generations.
2026 Nevada All-State Middle School
Mariachi Conductor
Middle School Mariachi Conductor
Antonio Delgadillo
Professional Musician and Educator
Jose Antonio "Toño" Delgadillo Cruz, a dedicated mariachi musician and educator, was raised in Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, and later moved to El Paso, Texas. He discovered his passion for music in high school, joining mariachi and singing for the first time. Delgadillo earned a music education degree from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). As a student he was able to represent mariachi music across the globe in St. Petersburg, Russia as an invitation from Herzen University.
As a professional musician, Antonio Delgadillo has had the privilege of performing and collaborating with legendary artists such as Ramon Ayala, Cristian Castro, Mana, La Mafia, and Jose Alfredo Jimenez Medel to name a few with Mariachi 7 Leguas. In a career highlight, Delgadillo shared the stage with multi-Grammy winner Luis Miguel, accompanying him alongside the world-renowned Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan, widely regarded as the best mariachi in the world. In recognition of Mariachi 7 Leguas' 15th anniversary, Delgadillo traveled to Tecalitlan, Jalisco - the birthplace of mariachi music - to receive the keys to the city in October 2019. As Musical Director of Mariachi 7 Leguas, Delgadillo put the final touches on the group's debut album, "20 Aniversario", marking a major milestone in their 20 year history that is to be soon released on all major platforms.
Currently, Antonio debuts with his own group “Mariachi Del Sol” where he gives high school graduates an opportunity to develop their skills and passion for mariachi music and showcase it for the local community.
Delgadillo began his teaching career as a middle school orchestra director for Harlingen CISD and later joined Roma ISD under Mr. Eloy Garza's mentorship. As director of Ramiro Barrera Middle School's Mariachi Juvenil Santander, Delgadillo has led the group to numerous awards and national titles, solidifying its reputation for excellence. He cherishes time with his wife and two children in Rio Grande City, TX. He hopes to inspire new generations of musicians with his commitment to excellence and passion for mariachi music.
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