Omar Herrera Arizmendi has established himself as one of the most committed and multifaceted artists championing the music by the great composers from Latin America. His knowledge of the repertoire coupled with his understanding of cultural issues have enabled him to understand and diagnose the root at the lack of representation of the Latin American repertoire in the concert halls.

As founder of PONCE PROJECT MUSIC FOUNDATION, and in collaboration with public and private partners, he has developed unique projects that have major consequential and transformative impacts in society, especially among the young.

Critics have described him as “an artist dedicated to bringing a wealth of unheard music to light”, and his performances as “truly fine piano playing”. PONCE PROJECT MUSIC FOUNDATION, under his leadership and in partnership with numerous institutional partners, has initiated the resuscitation of the works by some of the most important Mexican composers of the past. This includes the publication of more than 200 music scores, audio and video recordings, an international competition, and concert series in Mexico and the USA.

A native of Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, Omar Herrera Arizmendi earned his undergraduate degree at UT Austin, his master’s degree at Rice University and his doctorate degree at University of Houston. He is a proud direct descendant of one of Mexico’s most important composers Manuel M. Ponce.