Houston native Vanessa Alonzo embarked on her ranchera music journey under the mentorship of the late Alfonso Guerra at Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts. Since 2010, Vanessa has enhanced her vocal versatility through her participation in operatic performances, such as her role as Lupita in the first mariachi opera, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (“To Cross the Face of the Moon“) by José “Pepé” Martínez and Leonard Foglia.
Her portrayal of Lupita has earned nationwide acclaim, gracing prestigious venues such as the Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera, El Paso Opera, and San Diego Opera, alongside the renowned Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán and Mariachi los Camperos. In 2015, Vanessa originated the role of Juana in Foglia and Martínez's second Mariachi Opera, El Pasado Nunca Se Termina (“The Past is Never Finished”), embarking on a tri-city premiere tour with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Diego Opera, and Houston Grand Opera. Her contributions continued with the premiere of Houston Grand Opera’s El Milagro del Recuerdo in 2019, reprised with Arizona Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and San Diego Opera.
Vanessa's talents have also captivated international audiences in France, Ecuador, Norway, Vietnam, and Ireland. In recognition of her influence and leadership in the music industry, Vanessa was honored with the Influential Latina Award at the Houston Mariachi Festival in 2023 and the International Leadership Award from the Texas Women’s Empowerment Foundation in 2014.
