Biography
Operachi Singer Dr. Juanita Ulloa
Short Biography
Dr. Juanita Ulloa is a distinguished Operachi singer in Mexico, renowned for her multifaceted talents as a singer, pianist, songwriter, linguist, and author. With over 30 years of international experience, she has captivated audiences with international solo concerts across Spain, Mexico, Latin America, and the USA. Dr. Ulloa has produced seven award-winning Mexican folksong CDs and published five songbooks through Classical Vocal Reprints.
She is a passionate advocate for under-represented vocal works and folk music from Mexico, Spain, and Latin America, and she also highlights the contributions of women composers and children’s bilingual songs with her original pieces. A former opera singer, Dr. Juanita Ulloa is a trailblazer for inclusivity and diversity in commercial music (CM) alongside classical singing, uniting them through her exceptional vocal technique. She actively participates on the boards of various chapters of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (SFBAC-NATS and CCC-NATS).
Professional Background
Dr. Ulloa, a talented Operachi singer, trains vocally under the guidance of Jane Randolph and possesses music degrees from Yale University, UC Berkeley, and the University of Northern Colorado. She has imparted her knowledge as a faculty member at Austin Community College, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), and Texas State University.
Currently, Dr. Ulloa teaches voice at San Joaquin Delta College and Laney Community College in Northern California while also running a private voice studio, where she trains singers both online and in-person from various countries. Her expertise is highly sought after, leading her to deliver master classes, concerts, and workshops at universities and conferences in Mexico, the United States, and beyond. Notably, she is the author of the landmark book, THE MARIACHI VOICE (Amazon or Oxford University Press), published by Oxford University Press.
Pre-Show Smile in Puebla Evening Gala Dress. Photo by Karen Hall
Full Biography
Operachi Singer Dr. Juanita Ulloa
D.A. Vocal Performance
Described by Hispanic Magazine as “an artist in a niche of her own” alongside legends like Santana, Juanita Ulloa dedicates her voice to inspire global beauty and transform lives through vocal training. Her mission is to illuminate the often under-represented beauty, diversity, and richness of Mexican and Latin American vocal traditions — both folkloric and classical — of which she possesses unmatched expertise. Dr. Ulloa is a staunch advocate for the words and songs of women, sharing this vital message with her concerts across the nation and internationally. She is at the forefront of the Operachi genre, serving as an Operachi singer, Professor of Voice, Scholar/Author, Pianist, and occasional Songwriter.
Dr. Juanita Ulloa has captivated audiences with her international solo concerts across Spain, Latin America, and the United States for over three decades, often serving as a musical ambassador at events hosted by the Mexican Embassy. Her impressive repertoire includes performances as a soloist at international Olympic venues, major stadiums, arts centers, festivals, and competitions, as well as adjudicating for singing contests.
Dr. Ulloa is a six-time winner of the Festival de la Canción Latinoamericana and has also triumphed in classical NATS competitions in Colorado-Wyoming. In 2020, she pioneered the introduction of mariachi singing as a commercial vocal category at the SFBAC and CCC Chapters of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) in Northern California, along with the Cal-Western Regional NATS.
Her dedication has inspired many students to compete and achieve success in singing ranchera songs at NATS. Since 2010, she has presented and conducted master classes and workshops on both mariachi and Mexican songs at various national, regional, and local NATS conferences. Dr. Ulloa trains primarily with Jane Randolph and has further honed her skills in Zarzuela in Madrid with Ana María de Iriarte and briefly in France with Dalton Baldwin.
Raised in Mexico City, Panama, and Spain, she has always called Mexico home, alternating between Mexico and California. Dr. Ulloa has several award-winning mariachi/bolero recordings and Canta conmigo, a 5-CD series dedicated to increasing bilingualism in children, some with matching songbooks. Many have won the regional Parents’ Council, Disney, NAPPA, and Parents’ Choice awards. She has won an Addy award for her voice-over for television, working with SPCA, a non-profit that rescues animals. She has also done voice-overs for Bank of America, Reader Rabbit, Mail Boxes, Etc., MacMillan/McGraw-Hill, Silver, Burdett, Ginn (Pearson Music), and Scholastic Books.
Dr. Juanita Ulloa has performed regional opera roles across California, gracing the stages of Pocket Opera, West Bay Opera, Berkeley Opera, Sacramento Opera, and Mother Lode Musical Theatre Company. While she excels in operatic settings, her true strength lies in folkloric songs. Dr. Ulloa has showcased her talent as a featured soloist in mariachi and Latin American pop programs with esteemed ensembles such as the Stockton Symphony, Sacramento Symphony, Pasadena Pops, La Jolla Orchestra, and Macon Symphony, as well as various mariachi groups across the United States and Mexico. Among her favorites are Mariachi Voz de América, featured on the “Mujeres y Mariachi” CD, and Mariachi Campanas de América, known for the “Canta mi son!” CD tailored for Kids and Families.
The Operaachi singer has also published three sheet music volumes of Gomezanda Mexican art songs, and rancheras available at Classical Vocal Reprints. Dr. Ulloa was the first to publish written materials highlighting The Mariachi Voice in the series So You Want to Sing World Music Singing Book sponsored by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).
Dr. Ulloa holds music degrees from Yale University and UC Berkeley and a doctorate in vocal performance and Hispanic Studies from the University of Northern Colorado (2016). She is certified in the three levels of Somatic Voicework for commercial singing. Juanita was honored to serve as a board governor for NARAS (Grammys) and has taught on music faculties at the University of Texas at El Paso, Texas State University, Northwest Vista College, and Austin Community College, accompanying on piano at the University of Texas in San Antonio.
She has a hybrid national voice studio and teaches at Laney Community College in Oakland, CA, and San Joaquin Delta Community College while offering master classes, concerts, and voice training at universities internationally. Her 2024 global book release, THE MARIACHI VOICE, is authored in collaboration with Oxford University Press and is available on Amazon and every other quality bookstore.
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Biografia (En Español)
DRA. JUANITA ULLOA
VOZ/PIANO Y PROFESORA DE INTERPRETACION VOCAL
La cantante y cantautora, Dra. Juanita Ulloa ha sido aclamada como la Excelsa sacerdotisa de Operachi en la revista Hispanicpress.org por su exitoso CD “Mujeres y Mariachi.” Al mismo tiempo ha sido considerada como “una artista con un estilo muy personal” junto con Santana (Mark Halstern, Hispanic Magazine) con su estilo vocal muy única de Operachi, ya sea acompañada por guitarra, piano, mariachi, o ella misma acompañándose en el piano ranchero/clásico. Es una de las primeras cantantes mejicanas de canciones, boleros y rancheras que ha sabido combinar este género con la interpretación y enseñanza de la canción clásica mexicana, española, y latinoamericana. Su motivo es idea componer, cantar, e inspirar a futuros alumnos con las bellezas del repertorio vocal mexicano e hispanoamericano. Su capacitación a nivel clásico también la ha llevado a rescatar y promover canciones clásica de salón de la época nacionalista de México, en particular las obras vocales del pianista y compositor Jaliscience, Maestro Antonio Gomezanda. Su trayectoria es nacional e internacional con conciertos y capacitación de grandes artistas, la cantante de zarzuela Ana María de Iriarte en España y luego pianista Dalton Baldwin en Francia. Dra. Juanita Ulloa fungió de Profesora de interpretación vocal en la Universidad del Texas en El Paso, Texas, (UTEP) Texas State University, y universidades comunitarias en Texas y California de los EEUU. En 2016 se le otorgó título de doctorado en la interpretación vocal, ópera, y estudios hispánicos de la Universidad del norte de Colorado. Antes, estudió etnomusicólogía y estudios de piano en las prestigiosas Universidades de Yale (BA, Music) y Berkeley (MA, Music). Realizó estudios de posgrado en el Conservatorio de Niza (Francia) Cal State Hayward, San Francisco State University y Cal State Humboldt. Ha dado numerosos recitales en el Ateneo de Madrid, en Barcelona y Granada. También ha participado como solista de música popular latinoamericana y mariachi en Estados Unidos, Méjico, Perú, y Europa.
En 2024 estrena su proyecto más grande, el libro THE MARIACHI VOICE, en colaboración con el editorial Oxford University Press (Amazon). También ha escrito tres libros de canciones del Maestro Gomezanda en partituras para voz y piano (Classical Vocal Reprints). De cantautora folklórica escribió y grabó siete CDs de canto mexicano, tres con tema de promover el bilingualism con niños hispanos en EEUU. Las canciones ganaron premios GrIndy, Parent’s Choice, NAPPA, y premios Parent’s Council. Ha sido premiada con un Addy por su trabajo en doblajes de voz en colaboración con la entidad SPCA, refugio nacional estadounidense dedicado a rescatar animales. Trabaja con papeles de doblajes de voz y como autora ha realizado contratos y grabaciones con importantes editores y entidades como Bank of America, Reader Rabbit, Mailboxes, MacMillan/McGraw-Hill, Scholastic Books y Silver, Burdett, Ginn (Pearson Music). La Dra. Ulloa ha participado igualmente en papeles operísticos de Northern California con Pocket Opera, West Bay Opera, Berkeley Opera, Sacramento Opera, y Mother Lode Musical Theater Company. Su pericia sin embargo, es la canción mexicana y latinoamericana, ya sea en la música popular (el folclor).
Juanita Ulloa imparte clases de interpretación vocal y clases magistrales a nivel nacional e internacional en línea y de forma presencial. Imparte clases particulares en el estudio vocal particular “Ulloa Voice Studio” y Delta Community College (Stockton,California), así como Laney Community College (Oakland, California). La Dra. Ulloa interpreta tanto repertorio de mariachi como repertorio sinfónico con orquestas como la Stockton Symphony (CA) bajo la dirección de Peter Jaffe, Pasadena Pops (CA), La Jolla Chamber Orchestra (CA), y Macon Symphony (GA), además de numerosos ensembles de mariachi en Mexico y USA, con su repertorio favorito: Mariachi Voz de America (Mujeres y Mariachi CD) y Mariachi Campanas de America (Canta mi son! CD).
Juanita sings live with Mariachi Real de Axixic, Lakeside Theatre, Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico 2025.
Operachi Singer Dr. Juanita Ulloa
Voice Performance Links