World Music Concert Series

The Sounds of Mexico

Mariachi NIU and Banda NIU Joint Concert

Saturday, November 22, 2025
3:00 pm
Boutell Memorial Concert Hall

Jose-Antonio Ozuna, Mariachi NIU director
Robert De Leon, Banda NIU director
Special guests: members of Mariachi Los Pumas

Mariachi NIU and Banda NIU extend our sincere gratitude to the NIU World Music Program for their continued support, collaboration, and dedication to expanding global music traditions on campus.

Program

Mariachi NIU

Mariachi NIU, the official mariachi ensemble of the Northern Illinois University School of Music, celebrates the rich musical traditions of Mexico through performance, education, and community engagement. Open to NIU students and community members, the ensemble provides opportunities for cultural expression, leadership, and collaboration across campus and beyond.

Guided by its mission to preserve and promote mariachi music, Mariachi NIU strives to build bridges between cultures and generations, fostering pride, inclusion, and excellence. Through its performances, the ensemble continues to inspire audiences and strengthen connections between NIU and the diverse communities it serves.

José Antonio Ozuna, Director – Mariachi NIU

With over 35 years of professional mariachi experience, José Antonio Ozuna is a third-generation mariachi musician, educator, and cultural leader dedicated to expanding access to mariachi music education across the Midwest. He is the founding mariachi director at Jovita Idár Elementary in Chicago, where his award-winning ensemble, Mariachi Los Pumas, is now celebrating its 15th year of artistry, mentorship, and community impact. The program has been recognized by the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation for its excellence in performance and music education and by the NAMM Foundation as part of one of the Top Communities for Music Education in the nation (2022).

Mr. Ozuna and his students have proudly performed the National Anthem for the Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Fire FC, as well as for three Chicago mayors—Rahm Emanuel, Lori Lightfoot, and Brandon Johnson. Beyond the stage, he has guided school districts and nonprofit organizations in developing sustainable mariachi music education programs, creating lasting opportunities for students and communities to connect through culture and the arts.

He is also the director and co-founder of Mariachi Monumental de México, widely recognized as Chicago’s premier mariachi ensemble and a pioneer in the city’s mariachi education movement. Beyond performing, Monumental serves as a platform for mentorship, collaboration, and community engagement—having shared the stage with artists such as Lila Downs, Chuy Lizárraga, Alex Fernández, and others, while headlining major Latino and Hispanic Heritage celebrations with the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, and Chicago Fire FC.

Mr. Ozuna also serves as a Level I Armonía Instructor at the Tucson International Mariachi Conference, the world’s longest-running mariachi music education conference, where he contributes to the continued growth and professionalization of mariachi education at the national level.

Now in his second year directing Mariachi NIU, Mr. Ozuna brings his passion for mentorship, cultural pride, and educational innovation to the university stage. His long-term vision is to establish Mariachi NIU as one of the nation’s leading university mariachi programs—one that not only prepares students for real-world, high-level musical success, but also builds community, connection, and lifelong friendships through the shared experience of mariachi music.

Con más de 35 años de experiencia profesional en el mundo del mariachi, José Antonio Ozuna es un músico, educador y líder cultural de tercera generación, dedicado a expandir el acceso a la educación musical del mariachi en todo el medio oeste de los Estados Unidos. Es el director fundador del programa de mariachi en la Escuela Primaria Jovita Idár en Chicago, donde su galardonado conjunto, Mariachi Los Pumas, celebra su 15.º aniversario de arte, mentoría e impacto comunitario. El programa ha sido reconocido por la Fundación Cultural Latin Grammy por su excelencia artística y educativa, y por la Fundación NAMM como una de las mejores comunidades del país para la educación musical (2022).

El Sr. Ozuna y sus estudiantes han tenido el honor de interpretar el Himno Nacional para los Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox y Chicago Fire FC, así como para tres alcaldes de Chicago: Rahm Emanuel, Lori Lightfoot y Brandon Johnson. Más allá del escenario, ha guiado a distritos escolares y organizaciones sin fines de lucro en el desarrollo de programas sostenibles de educación musical de mariachi, creando oportunidades duraderas para que estudiantes y comunidades se conecten a través del arte y la cultura.

También es director y cofundador del Mariachi Monumental de México, ampliamente reconocido como el principal mariachi de Chicago y un pionero en el movimiento educativo del mariachi en la ciudad. Más allá de las presentaciones, Monumental sirve como una plataforma de mentoría, colaboración y compromiso comunitario—habiendo compartido escenario con artistas como Lila Downs, Chuy Lizárraga, Alex Fernández, y otros, además de encabezar importantes celebraciones latinas e hispanas con los Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls y Chicago Fire FC.

El Sr. Ozuna también se desempeña como instructor de armonía de nivel I en la Conferencia Internacional de Mariachi de Tucson, la conferencia de educación de mariachi más antigua del mundo, donde contribuye al crecimiento y profesionalización continua de la educación del mariachi a nivel nacional.

En su segundo año como director de Mariachi NIU, el Sr. Ozuna aporta su pasión por la mentoría, el orgullo cultural y la innovación educativa al escenario universitario. Su visión a largo plazo es establecer Mariachi NIU como uno de los principales programas universitarios de mariachi del país—uno que no solo prepare a los estudiantes para el éxito musical profesional de alto nivel, sino que también fomente la comunidad, la conexión y amistades duraderas a través de la experiencia compartida del mariachi.

Mariachi NIU Members

Vocals
Alondra Hermosillo
Eduardo Morales
Erik Vázquez

Violin
Vanessa Felix
Laura González
Antonio Ozuna*
Guadalupe Solano Valle
Andrew Viveros*
Owen Zorographos

Trumpet
Christian Barraza
Juan Daniel Cervantes

Guitarrón
Matthew Díaz
Jesus Madrigal

Armonía
Jonathan Arroyo
Alexander Coronel
David Leija
Fernando Marroquín Mendoza
Joshua Monroy*

*guest performer

Banda NIU

Banda NIU honors the rich tradition of the great bandas from the western Mexican state of Sinaloa. Its long and dynamic history emerged from the collaboration between European immigrants to Mexico in the 1800s and popular Mexican song. With roots in military and municipal bands performing at large outdoor events, banda music has evolved over the past century to incorporate a wide variety of dance rhythms and song forms, including son, cumbia, ranchera, polka, bolero, vals, merengue, bachata, corrido, balada, mambo, and cha-cha-chá.

Banda NIU brings the infectious energy of this vibrant music to Northern Illinois University through performances in the School of Music and throughout the surrounding community. The ensemble requires an audition and is open to all university students on trumpet, trombone, clarinet, horn (alto horn in E♭), tuba (sousaphone), drum set, percussion, and voice.

Roberto De León, Director Banda NIU

Roberto De León is a drummer, steel pannist, tarolero, guitarronero, and vihuelista from Chicago, Illinois. A performer, arranger, and music educator specializing in Latin American music, De León focuses primarily on Mexican genres. He is an experienced banda and mariachi musician, having performed with ensembles across the United States and Mexico.

De León holds a bachelor’s degree and a performer’s certificate in percussion from Northern Illinois University (NIU), where he studied under Dr. Gregory Beyer and Ben Wahlund. He continued his musical endeavors with Banda Cuatro Estrellas and Mariachi Camino Real de Chicago, both of which he founded and directs. He currently serves as a mariachi instructor at Orozco Academy in Pilsen and works with the People’s Center for Cultural and Contemporary Arts, as well as a substitute teacher for Chicago Public Schools.

De León is thrilled to return to NIU in his new role as Director of Banda NIU.

Banda NIU Members

Clarinet
Fernado Marroquín Mendoza
Christian Martinez
Maddie Montiel
Luis Ocampo
Frankie Salas-Hernandez
Michelangelo Uribe+
Eduardo Zamudio^

Trumpet
Melvin Carmona
Fernando Garduno-Cadena
Julian Hernandez
Colin Moore
Omar Ojeda
Carlos Sims
Ashley Tilton^
David Watson

Trombone
Juan Figueroa
Isabella Rodriguez^

Charcheta
Christian Barraza^
Lesley Trejo+

Tuba
Sam Okunnu

Tarolas
Lotus Barnes

Tambora
Francisco Aguilar

Vocals
Sarah Calgaro
Owen Zographos

^ section leader

+denotes vocalist

Son Jarocho Members

Guitarrón
Matthew Díaz

Requinto Jarocho
Nathan Stade

Jarana Jarocho
Jonthan Arroyo –

Vocals
Eduardo Garcia

Cajón
Alex Coronel