Music Director, Vihuela, & Voice - Alejandro Sifuentes
Alejandro Sifuentes is a graduate of Kennesaw State University in Oboe Performance, where he studied under Elizabeth Koch Tiscione of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He has toured China, Austria, Czech Republic and performs regularly with local Georgia Orchestras. He went on to learn the craft of oboe repair after an intensive summer apprenticeship with Ginger Ramsay, maker of Covey Oboes in Blairsville, GA. Since then, he set-up shop in Marietta, GA where he has become a prominent oboe technician and works with oboist throughout the southeastern United States. Mr. Sifuentes also has a passion for education; he has been teaching privately for over 8 years and maintains an active oboe studio where students have a comprehensive approach to the oboe focusing on posture, breath control and the reed making process. In 2015 he founded Mariachi Búhos de Oro where he sings and play vihuela. In 2017 & 2019 he performed on oboe and guitar for the Middlebury Language School Inauguration representing the Portuguese School.
Violin & Voice - Susy Reyes
Susy, native of Kennesaw, Georgia, is a music educator,performer, and photographer. She is currently enrolled in the School of Music at Kennesaw State University as a music education major with a concentration in strings, and has been involved in several of the school's renowned ensembles, including the KSU Symphony Orchestra, Mixed Chamber Ensembles, Chamber Singers, Opera Theater, and has served as concertmaster of the Philharmonic Orchestra.
Outside of school, Susan is quite active in the Metro-Atlanta area as a freelance performer of violin and voice. She has frequently been hired as a violinist/soloist for numerous churches, weddings, neighboring schools, and other miscellaneous ensembles. Susan is also the current Violin, Viola, Cello, and Voice instructor at the Paulding Music Center. She currently studies violin under the tutelage of Kenn Wagner (1st violin of The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) and in the past, has studied with Valerie Walters (New England Consort of Viols, Atlanta Opera Chorus), Leah Partridge (Metropolitan Opera), Kimberly Rosquist (Atlanta Opera Choir), and PaulHedman (Suzuki Violin Studio).
Currently, Susan is involved in several performing groups around the Atlanta beltline. She is a violinist, singer, and a founding member of the group, "Mariachi Búhos de Oro." Through Buhos de Oro, she has performed several times for the General Consulate of Mexico, has performed at the Atlanta’s History Center’s Day of the Dead celebration, and has been featured on the program RaceVoz Radio. Buhos de Oro has also been heavily involved in promoting mariachi music in Metro-Atlanta Public Schools. Along with her heavy involvement with traditional mariachi, Susan is also a violinist and vocalist in the rock band "Sarah and the Safe Word," which just released a new album entitled Strange Doings in the Night, produced by Bradley Walden of Emarosa. They have recently performed a sold-out show at Smith’s Olde Bar in Atlanta, and will be performing at the Warped Tour Atlanta date at the request of the tour’s founder, Kevin Lyman.
Outside of school, Susan is quite active in the Metro-Atlanta area as a freelance performer of violin and voice. She has frequently been hired as a violinist/soloist for numerous churches, weddings, neighboring schools, and other miscellaneous ensembles. Susan is also the current Violin, Viola, Cello, and Voice instructor at the Paulding Music Center. She currently studies violin under the tutelage of Kenn Wagner (1st violin of The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) and in the past, has studied with Valerie Walters (New England Consort of Viols, Atlanta Opera Chorus), Leah Partridge (Metropolitan Opera), Kimberly Rosquist (Atlanta Opera Choir), and PaulHedman (Suzuki Violin Studio).
Currently, Susan is involved in several performing groups around the Atlanta beltline. She is a violinist, singer, and a founding member of the group, "Mariachi Búhos de Oro." Through Buhos de Oro, she has performed several times for the General Consulate of Mexico, has performed at the Atlanta’s History Center’s Day of the Dead celebration, and has been featured on the program RaceVoz Radio. Buhos de Oro has also been heavily involved in promoting mariachi music in Metro-Atlanta Public Schools. Along with her heavy involvement with traditional mariachi, Susan is also a violinist and vocalist in the rock band "Sarah and the Safe Word," which just released a new album entitled Strange Doings in the Night, produced by Bradley Walden of Emarosa. They have recently performed a sold-out show at Smith’s Olde Bar in Atlanta, and will be performing at the Warped Tour Atlanta date at the request of the tour’s founder, Kevin Lyman.
Violin & Voice - Jonathan Urizar
Jonathan studied Violin Performance at Kennesaw State University, where he served as the symphony orchestra's concertmaster for two seasons. Jonathan studied with Juan and Carol Ramirez of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Helen Kim. He is frequently invited to perform as guest concertmaster in various orchestras in the southeast. In addition to maintaining a small private studio, he performs most frequently with The Greenville symphony, as Assistant Concertmaster of the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, and most recently won the position of Concertmaster for the Dekalb Symphony Orchestra.
Violin & Voice - Israel Arce
Israel has played the violin for over a decade and has been performing with Mariachi Búhos de Oro since it was founded. Israel studied Nursing at Kennesaw State University and he splits his days between caring for patients with neurological conditions and working on continuing to provide authentic Mariachi experiences for our audiences. In 2018, he had the opportunity to record on the album “AMERICAN DREAMERS: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom” with multi-grammy winning jazz trumpeter and educator John Daversa, along with the guidance of renowned producers Kabir Seghal, Doug Davis, and Steven Webber, and in 2019 the album won three Grammy Awards including Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Capella, and Best Improvised Jazz Solo. Mr. Arce is also an avid saxophone, clarinet, and guitar player.
Guitarron & Voice - Carolina Sifuentes
Carolina, who also goes by Nina, is originally a cellist who is studying music at Kennesaw State University. She has always admired the unique bass lines in Mariachi music and started to perform on the guitarrón in January 2017. Since then, she has been focusing on mastering Guitarrón technique and has performed countless times with Mariachi Búhos de Oro. She has also had to great opportunity to collaborate with the Atlanta Music Project for their "Oboes and Friends Benefit Concert 2018". Currently, Nina is studying vihuela and voice training.
Trumpet & Voice - Jesse Baker
Jesse is an active freelance trumpeter in and around Atlanta, Marietta, and Kennesaw areas in Georgia. Currently, Jesse performs frequently with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, having played on works such as Stravinsky’s Petrushka, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. As a member of the Georgia Brass Band, he also performs on cornet in a British brass band style throughout the state of Georgia. Jesse also plays trumpet in a local mariachi group called Mariachi Búhos de Oro, made up of KSU music students and alumni, playing several public and private events per year. Jesse is also a member of Big Band Atlanta, where he continues his love for big band jazz music. As a member of Brother Brown & the Soul Reunion, he enjoys playing a combination of soul and rock music throughout the Atlanta area. Jesse also frequently performs in the orchestra pit for various musical productions in Georgia. A few of the musicals he's played include Cabaret, Titanic, Crazy for You, and Ragtime. Some additional groups he has performed with include Tara Winds, the Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra.
Jesse currently holds a private trumpet studio at Ken Stanton Music and at the First Presbyterian Church of Marietta, where he enjoys teaching his students. He received his bachelor’s degree in Music Performance cum laude from Kennesaw State University in May 2016. His main teachers have included KSU trumpet professor Dr. Douglas Lindsey and Professor Michael Tiscione of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Guitar & Voice - Aldo Cardenas
Aldo is a student at Kennesaw State University where he is studying Music Performance on Guitar. He joined Mariachi Buhos de Oro a year ago and has been learning Viheula in that time.