Hector Armienta

As a Mexican-American composer working in the neo-romantic operatic form, my central question has always been the same: where is the bridge between my community's living musical traditions and the language of opera? With every work I write, I am not importing culture into a European form — I am finding where that form already exists within the culture itself. In the mariachi scene of Farolitos of Christmas , that bridge lives in the orchestration. The rhythmic foundation draws directly from...

Farolitos of Christmas is a contemporary holiday opera by composer Hector Armienta. Blending English and Spanish, the work explores memory, tradition, and the light of farolitos during the Christmas season. Based on the children's book of the same title by Rudolfo Anaya. Featured artist in video is Soprano Christina Martos. Video courtesy of Opera Southwest. 2025 production. Conducted by Maestro Anthony Barrese and stage directions by John de los Santos. #FarolitosOfChristmas #ChristmasOpera...