Jessé
Martins

Piano
Jessé Martins
(He/Him) Brazilian conductor, pianist, and voice coach Jessé Martins has extensive experience working with all types of singers from children to seasoned professionals. Since joining Sarasota Opera in 2011, he conducted Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, and Donizetti’s La Fille du Regiment;  Chorus Master & Head of the Apprentice Program for the 2020 Winter Festival, Studio Artists Director for the 2022-2023 Season, and will be conducting Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor in 2024. 
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Biography

Jessé Martins

Jessé Martins is a conductor, pianist, and voice coach who has extensive experience working with all types of singers from children to seasoned professionals. 

For Sarasota Opera’s 2022-2023 Season, Maestro Martins is the Director of the Studio Artists Program, conductor for the Youth Opera production of Dean Burry’s The Secret World of Og, and understudy conductor for Cimarosa’s Il Matrimonio Segreto, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Massenet’s Thérèse. Since joining the music staff of Sarasota Opera in 2011, he has been integrally involved in all aspects of the company’s musicmaking. He conducted Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (2019), Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (2021), and Donizetti’s La fille du régiment (2022). Maestro Martins was the Chorus Master & Head of the Apprentice Program during the 2020 Winter Festival and has performed as pianist in many concerts for the company and throughout the area.

As Youth Opera Music Director for Sarasota Opera since 2011, Maestro Martins has conducted the world premiere of Rachel J. Peters’ Rootabga Country, the U.S. premiere of Dean Burry’s The Secret World of OG, Britten’s The Little Sweep, Dean Burry’s The Hobbit, Krása’s Brundibár and was the associate conductor for the world premiere of Daron Hagen’s Little Nemo in Slumberland

In collaboration with Martha Collins he co-wrote and conducted 2 works for the Sarasota Youth Opera Raise Up Your Voice – Intolerance Through The Voices of Children, and Let’s Put on an Opera.  As part of the music staff Martins was the cover conductor for Rossini’s  Il barbiere di Siviglia, and L’italiana in Algeri, Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Eugene D’Albert’s Tiefland, Catalani’s La Wally, Pergolesi’s La Serva Padrona, and Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto.

He has worked extensively as a coach in his native Brazil, New Zealand, and now the Sarasota opera and area. He is also a member of the Sarasota Piano Trio.

Martins has dedicated much of his professional career working as a pianist in his home country Brazil, New Zealand, England, and the United States. He holds a Master of Arts in Collaborative Piano from Mansfield University (PA), and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre, Brazil).

While a Graduate Assistant at Mansfield University, Mr. Martins was involved in many projects such as Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Richard Strauss’ Melodramas for piano and narrator, George Crumb’s 11 Echoes of Autumn, George Flynn’s Chicago Mood, and the Recital Winds & Strings Sweep into the 20th Century as part of the Finger Lakes Chamber Music Festival (NY). He also traveled with the University's Concert Choir to the UK, and the Eisteddfod competition in Wales.

Since relocating to Sarasota, Mr. Martins has kept a presence outside the opera house by collaborating with other artists in recitals throughout the community, including multiple concerts with ensemblenewSRQ.

Prior to his graduate studies Mr. Martins was the Assistant Music Director and Program Manager for the Opera Factory Theater (Auckland, New Zealand) – a training center for young singers where he performed the roles of Assistant Coach on David Griffiths’ The Three Franks, Phillip Norman’s A Factory Opera and Pleasure Garden, Rod Biss’ Marriage a la mode, Menotti’s The Consul, Vaughan Williams’ Riders to the Sea, Bizet’s Doctor Miracle; and Music Director on Krasa’s Brundibar, Britten’s Albert Herring, Arthur Benjamin’s Prima Donna, Menotti’s The boy who grew too fast and The Telephone, Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, Arne’s Thomas and Sally, and Mozart’s The Impresario. While in New Zealand Mr. Martins had the chance to work with world renowned soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, British Maestro Sir Andrew Davis, and chorus repetiteur for NBR NZ Opera’s Jenůfa by Leoš Janáček.

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Piano