SERGIO MARTINEZ
BASS
BIOGRAPHY
Colombian bass Sergio Martinez has been praised nationally and internationally for his charismatic stage presence and voice of “cavernous resonance and…power” (OnStage Pittsburgh). As a member of Washington National Opera’s distinguished Cafritz Young Artist Program, Mr. Martinez received extensive acclaim as a featured performer in both their American Opera Initiative (AOI) and mainstage productions, most notably for his portrayals of Frère Laurent in Romeo et Juliette and Baloo in Kamala Sankaram and Kelly Rourke’s The Jungle Book. This summer, he returns to The Glimmerglass Festival to sing the roles of Sagrestano in Tosca and Papa Cordero in their premiere of The House on Mango Street.
Mr. Martinez kicks off the 2025-2026 season with a house début at Opera Southwest to sing the role of Cesar Chavez in Dolores. Additionally, he will return to his expressive Baloo for Resonance Works’ production of The Jungle Book at the Andrew Carnegie Music Hall in Pennsylvania. Last season, Mr. Martinez made several company débuts across the country, joining Des Moines Metro Opera as the Second Soldier in Salome, portraying Zuñiga in Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s production of Carmen, and joining the Spoleto Festival to sing the role of Palémon in Thais. In addition, he portrayed the role of Osvaldo in Washington National Opera’s AOI presentation of Tati, a new commission by Kyle Brenn and Lex Brown.
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Mr. Martinez’s other notable engagements as a Cafritz Young Artist at Washington National Opera include a Look-In performance of Banquo in Macbeth, in addition to appearances as the Judge Advocate General in the world premiere of Grounded and the Innkeeper/Ox in The Lion, Unicorn, and Me. Moreover, his engagements at The Glimmerglass Festival include Frère Laurent in Romeo et Juliette, Zuñiga in Carmen, and covering Don Petronio in Tenor Overboard. Mr. Martinez’s repertoire further includes roles like Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia, Colline in La Bohème, and Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
In 2023, Martinez composed, produced, and performed his first opera in four acts entitled ¡Dime! in collaboration with librettist Bailey Merlin. In addition, Martinez recently premiered three of his newest compositions: Mestizaje (mezzo-soprano and piano), Mundane (bass voice, electronics, and piano), and Canciones Campesinas (bass voice and piano).
Mr. Martinez graduated with his MM from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During his time in Illinois, Martinez was the recipient of the Stotler Fellowship, the Golden Lyre Award, and the Sara de Mundo Lo Award. Mr. Martinez also graduated with his MMA in opera from Yale University, where he was awarded the prestigious Phyllis Curtin Award. He also received first prize and the Linus Lerner prize at the first international singing competition of Colombia.
Current as of June 1, 2025
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"...a bass voice of cavernous resonance and...power" – OnStage Pittsburgh
Sparafucile – "Martinez possesses a bass voice of cavernous resonance and carrying power."
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"Martinez...[had] a preternatural command of [Zuñiga]" – Nippertown
Carmen – "Sergio Martinez was another understudy who went on...as Zuñiga and had a preternatural command in the role…"
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"...an imposing bass..." – The Wall Street Journal
Romeo et Juliette – "Sergio Martinez displayed an imposing bass as Friar Lawrence."
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"Sergio Martinez...[gave] an excellent retelling of the famous aria La calumnia" – Scherzo
Barber of Seville – "El encargado de Don Basilio fue Sergio Martínez quien hizo una excelente recreación de la famosa aria de la calumnia."
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"...sturdy Bass..." – Washington Post
A Way Forward – "The sturdy Bass of Sergio Martinez served the financially stressed patriarch Gabriel well."