Soprano Larisa Martínez Leads Opera Clinic for UC Irvine Students
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Opera singer Larisa Martinez poses with UCI Arts students, Department of Music instructor Shane Wood and Philharmonic Society staff following an opera clinic. Photo by Diana Kalaji.
Made possible by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, the visit gave voice students hands-on coaching from one of the most sought-after opera performers
On May 8, soprano Larisa Martínez visited UC Irvine's Opera Workshop at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts for a 90-minute clinic, made possible with the support of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, in instructor Shane Wood's course.
Puerto Rican opera singer Martínez has received acclaim for her appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony and Carnegie Hall. She opened the session at UC Irvine by sharing her professional background before turning to hands-on coaching. A longtime touring partner of tenor Andrea Bocelli and a collaborator with Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell, she brought a firsthand perspective on performing at the highest levels of the field.
Students performed a range of pieces, including Tylar Coleman singing "Bright Is the Ring of Words" by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Rosie Kline performing "Das Veilchen" (The Violet) by Clara Schumann, Marceline Lazarus presenting "Che Beltà, che leggiadria" by Mozart and Jaylen Verdun offering "Vaga luna, che inargenti" (Beautiful moon, dappling with silver) by Vincenzo Bellini. Martínez gave detailed feedback on diction, phrasing, vowel placement and stage presence. Throughout, she emphasized connecting to the story and world of each piece, grounding that work in a consistent technical focus on lower core engagement, breath support and legato singing. For many students, it was a rare opportunity to receive real-time guidance from a performer actively working on international stages.
Larisa Martínez coaches student Jaylen Verdun as he performs Vincenzo Bellini's "Vaga luna, che inargenti" during an opera clinic. Photo by Diana Kalaji.
Representing the Philharmonic Society were Katherine Yang '03, a UCI Department of Music alumna and the organization's vice president of education and community engagement, along with Courtney McKinnon, associate director of volunteer and education services, and Hitesh Benny '26.
The clinic reflects an ongoing partnership between UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.
To learn more about the office of Access & Engagement, visit arts.uci.edu/access-engagement. For more information about the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, visit philharmonicsociety.org.
