Meet Gustavo Hernandez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gustavo Hernandez.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was a little kid, I liked to sing but eventually I strayed away from it, I was very shy. And one day when I was about in junior high, I found a cassette tape and I played it and I was surprised that I liked it so much. The music was very pretty, the lyrics, the singing. It was Pedro Infante. I decided to teach myself to sing. One day I got brave and started to sing in front of people, and I was advised to take voice lessons. That led to my interest in jazz and classical music, and that led to the rest of my musical education. I went to the San Francisco Conservatory of music and later the USC Thornton school of music. I’ve always loved mariachi music, so I taught myself to play the guitar and started playing with a group in the bay area first, then eventually with working groups in Los Angeles. During that time, I won a few competitions and was invited to sing abroad and as a chorister with San Francisco and Los Angeles opera. I was also able to sing as a soloist in regional opera companies and orchestras in the bay area and Los Angeles area. I’ve been teaching voice lessons for a long time, but I have started doing much more of it in the last five years. I am currently recording writing producing and arranging music for myself and others as I continue to play and sing Mariachi with a professional group, and I’m continuing to sing opera and classical music.

Has it been a smooth road?
Definitely not smooth, the life of a musician most often is not. I graduated with my master’s degree in 2008, which it turns out was bad timing for that. It was tough to secure meaningful full-time work as a musician or as a teacher at that time, so that was pretty tough for a while. But once you accept that life, no matter who you are will be tough, you just move forward.

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I am a musician and instructor, I teach voice lessons, I write and produce music, I sing as a soloist and I play as a member of a band. I guess I would say I’m mostly known for singing Mariachi and Opera, but I write lots of different kinds of music, and this year and last year I have been focusing on recording as much of my music as possible. So this year I’ve been releasing mariachi music, and I hope to release some of my jazz songs by the end of the year, some country songs that I’ve written, and a classical album in honor of my first Voice Teacher who passed away a few years ago. I’m really proud of having been able to sing as a soloist in Walt Disney Hall, that was a huge dream of mine that I finally realized recently. I’m really happy to be traveling and recording and performing mariachi music, that was always my dream. I think the fact that I studied voice for so long in a Conservatory is what sets me apart in most musical spheres, I can rely on my technique to get me through almost anything vocally.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Los Angeles is definitely great for music and musicians. I was surprised at how vibrant the classical scene is here and the Mariachi scene. I’m actually from the San Francisco Bay area, and I looked forward to going home after singing a show At Los Angeles opera a few years ago, but then I started booking singing jobs left and right without meaning to while I was here, and I realized that my place was here. So yes, I would definitely recommend Los Angeles to anyone who was trying to enter the music scene in some way.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gustavohg63/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/gustavohernandeztenor/

Image Credit:
Julie Rodriguez, John Bisceglie, Eugene Carbajal, Arnold Guerra

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