María Agar Martínez

Career Trajectory

Raised in a musical household by her soprano mother Evangelina Colón, Ana María Martínez trained at Juilliard before emerging through the Houston Grand Opera Studio as one of America's most accomplished lyric sopranos. Her breakthrough performances at the Metropolitan Opera and Santa Fe Opera established her as an interpreter of uncommon sensitivity, commanding major roles across the Verdi and Puccini repertoires while championing contemporary works like Florencia en el Amazonas. Now a Grammy Award winner and tenured professor at Rice University, she has evolved into a cultural ambassador for Puerto Rican artistry and a mentor of profound influence.