MMAP Instructors
Jesus Guzman, Lead Artist Instructor
Widely recognized as arranger, instructor, and multi-instrumentalist, Jesus "Chuy" Guzman is the director of Mariachi Los Camperos, formerly bearing the name of its founder, Nati Cano and now under his tutelage as Mariachi Los Camperos de Jesus "Chuy" Guzman. For over 30 years, Mr. Guzman has served as head instructor for numerous international mariachi festivals in the United States and Mexico and instructs the Ethnomusicology 91K, Music of Mexico course at the University of California, Los Angeles. Guzman collaborated with Linda Ronstadt on her Grammy Award-winning album and subsequent tour of Canciones de mi Padre, and has appeared in several Hollywood motion pictures, including "Mi Familia," starring Jimmy Smitts and Edward James Olmos, "Jerry Maguire," starring Tom Cruise, and "Sex in the City" starring Sarah Jessica Parker. Guzman's career highlights include collaborations with various Symphony Orchestras and Operas, including the Orquesta Filarmonia de Jalisco and the New York City Opera. Guzman's honors and awards include Grammy Nominations for his productions, Llegaron Los Camperos and Tradicion Arte, y Pasion, and Grammy Awards for Amor, Dolor, y Lagrimas and De Ayer Para Siempre.
Sergio Alonso, Artist Instructor
Educator, ethnomusicologist, and multi-instrumentalist, Sergio "Checo" Alonso is a committed advocate for the preservation and dissemination of traditional Mexican music. A graduate of UCLA's Department of Ethnomusicology and a 27-year member of the world-renowned, Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Alonso has performed in many of the most prestigious concert halls throughout North America and has worked with some of today's most revered Latin music recording artists, including Linda Ronstadt, Jose Feliciano, Vikki Carr, Carlos Santana, Caetano Veloso, Lila Downs, Aida Cuevas, Pepe Aguilar, and Alejandro Fernando. His performance credits have also spanned across other music genres through tours and/or recordings with international artists such as The Chieftains, Los Lobos, Ozomatli, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the New York City Opera.
As an educator, Alonso has dedicated his career in teaching the Mexican musical traditions in the community of San Fernando and throughout the United States. He served as the Cultural Arts Commissioner for the City of San Fernando and as a delegate on the National Association for Music Education's (MENC) Mariachi Advisory Committee. Since 2001 Alonso has been an instructor for the award-winning and nationally recognized youth arts-in-education program, the City of San Fernando Mariachi Master Apprentice Program (MMAP).
A Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at Boston University, Alonso has written various articles on mariachi pedagogy, including "Teaching the Mariachi Harp" and "Preparing for a Performance" in Foundations of Mariachi Education: Materials, Methods, and Resources (Rowman and Littlefield Education, 2008), "Mariachi Master Apprentice Program: Familia during the COVD-19 Pandemic" in Places and Purposes of Popular Music Education: Perspectives for the Field (Intellect, 2022), and "Mariachi Ensemble Rehearsal Techniques" in Teaching Instrumental Music: Contemporary Perspectives and Pedagogies (Oxford University Press, 2023).
As a member of Mariachi Los Camperos, Alonso's honors and awards include multiple Grammy Nominations (2005, 2016) and Grammy Awards (2004, 2008, 2019). Alonso also was bestowed a Durfee Foundation Master Musician Fellowship (2006) and for his work with MMAP, the 2012 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, the nation's highest honor given to youth arts and humanities programs bestowed by First Lady, Michelle Obama.
Alonso is a veteran music educator at San Fernando High School where he is also the musical director for the Mighty Tigers Marching Band and Mariachi Los Tigres de San Fernando.
Mario Hernandez, Artist Instructor
Mr. Hernandez is the vihuela player for Mariachi Los Camperos. Recorded for Artists: Vicky Carr, José Feliciano, Lady Gaga, Ezequiel Peña and Jenny Rivera. Hollywood Motion Pictures include: "Rango" starring Isla Fisher, "When Billy Beat Bobby" starring Holly Hunter, and "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" parts 1 and 2 with George Lopez. Formerly, Mario was the Guitarron player for Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández. He is a popular choice to instruct the vihuela and guitarrón workshops at the New Mexico Mariachi Spectacular Conference. Produced for Smithsonian Folkways, Mr. Hernandez with Mariachi Los Camperos received the 2019 Grammy Award for best Regional Mexican Album "De Ayer Para Siempre".
Ernesto Lazaro, Artist Instructor
Mr. Lazaro is the artist instructor for MMAP for violin, armonia and vocals. Ernesto began his mariachi education as the lead violinist for Mariachi Tesoro de San Fernando where he had the honor of receiving the 2012 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award on behalf of the City of San Fernando, Mariachi Master Apprentice Program. He began his professional career with Mariachi Garibaldi where he accompanied various recording artists, including Pedro Fernandez, Paquita La Del Barrio, Pablo Montero and Ana Barbara. As a member of Camperos, he collaborated with the New York City Opera on "Cruzar La Cara de La Luna," the world's first mariachi opera. Produced for Smithsonian Folkways, Mr. Lazaro with Mariachi Los Camperos received the 2019 Grammy Award for best Regional Mexican Album "De Ayer Para Siempre".