Winners from Paracho International guitar fest to perform live at the Diamond Valley Arts center on Saturday, November 11th from 2:00pm. Doors Open at 1:20. Admission is FREE. Donations are Accepted. This is a unique opportunity for our community to have such esteemed musicians grace our stage. Come support this wonderful performance and bring your friends.

Mariana began her musical studies at the age of 7 at the Center for Research and Development of Guitar (CIDEG, AC) in Paracho Michoacán, Mexico, under the tutelage of her father Jaime Gómez, who was then a student of the maestros Sergio Damián Wilson and Manuel Espinás (Cuba). Eventually, she took master classes with Denis Azabagic (Bosnia), Adriano del Sal (Italy), Vladislav Blaha (Czech Republic), Pablo Márquez (Argentina), Jesús Ortega (Cuba), Alfonso Aguirre (Mexico), Giampaolo Bandini (Italy), among others.

Juan Pablo Sixtos Cano from Paracho, Michoacán, began his studies in 2009 at the age of 9 years at the guitar school "INPA" of Paracho Mich., under the tutelage of the Maestra Verónica García Ayala. In 2014 he became a student of the Maestro Luis Molina Gutiérrez and in 2015 he entered the "CONSERVATORIO DE LAS ROSAS" in Morelia, Michoacán where he currently studies under the tutelage of the Maestra Eva Pleskova. He has taken master classes with teachers like: Oman Kaminsky (Mexico) Francisco Gil (Mexico) Łukasz Kuropaczewski (Poland) Édgar Medrano (Mexico) Alfredo Amezcua (Mexico) Abel Gracia Ayala (Mexico).

He has received national awards such as: 2nd place in the guitar competition PARACHO 2010 category Infantiles, 1st PLACE competition "Los Niños Tocan Tan Bien" PUEBLA 2014 CATEGORY B, 2nd PLACE competition of young guitar interpreters SALAMANCA category Juvenil Menor,\1st PLACE in the guitar competition PARACHO 2015 category Juveniles.

With her Guitar, Mariana has been invited to perform numerous concerts in festivals within Mexico, as well as in Brazil, Czech Republic, Peru and United States. She has won, 1st place in the category “Infantiles”, 1st place in the category “Juveniles” in Paracho Michoacán, 1st place in the regional University competition in Guadalajara, 1st place in the Latin American Competition to participate in the 3rd Latin American Guitar Festival (Chicago) and was selected to participate in the 12th Music Festival of Santa Catarina in Brazil, as well as other awards and Honorable Mentions. She was winner of 2 scholarships for the realization of cultural Projects "The Color of the Guitar; A delight for composers from Michoacán and Mexico" (2011). Inspired by her love for the State, visited 12 churches to share this beautiful music and "For the Region P'urhépecha with it’s Sones and Abajeños " (2014) a project with the quartet Paracho Anapu. Late in 2013, the mayor of Paracho Michoacán, awarded her a distinction as: "Woman with an outstanding career as a promoter of the guitar culture in Mexico."

As part of the "Paracho Anapu" Guitar Quartet, composed of her two brothers and her father Jaime Gómez, she has performed numerous concerts, as well as collaborating in the recording of the CD "RAZA DE BRONCE" containing sones and abajeños of P'urhepecha music for four guitars, arranged by maestro Jaime Gómez, who has also published the scores.

Today she is Artistic Director of the Paracho Guitar Festival. Along with her intense activity with her Guitar, Mariana continues her musical professionalization with guitarist Eva Pleskova (Czech Republic), as well as with Francisco Cruz, Mario Quirós and Felipe de Jesús at the Faculty of Arts of the U.M.S.N.H. in Morelia Michoacán, Mexico.

Music At The Center is a fundraising program which brings music to the San Jacinto Valley. Proceeds go to support DVAC arts programs and to continue to bring fine original music and musicians.