A native of Southern California, tenor Javier Gonzalez recently completed his master's degree in vocal performance and choral conducting at the University of New Mexico. He was recently described in the Albuquerque Journal by music critic and composer Daniel S. Crafts as “a young star on the rise” and is a “…bold arresting tenor… with a shining lyricism.”

For ten years he served as assistant choral director of the Georgetown Presbyterian Chorale in Washington, D.C., and has been a guest choral and vocal clinician for the Vocal Arts Society of Washington. He continues to travel as a voice and choral clinician around the country presenting master classes for young singers at various universities, academies and churches.

As a vocalist he has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Dvorak Hall, Ely Cathedral in Cambridge, St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, the National Cathedral in Washington, St. Francis Cathedral Basilica and Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, and Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque, appearing with such artists as Placido Domingo, Branford Marsalis and John Rutter.

Mr. Gonzalez was a finalist in the Washington National Opera's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist competition in 2005 and was the first place winner in the Barry Alexander International Vocal Competition in New York City in 2008. He also won first place in the UNM concert competition and the New Mexico/Oklahoma/Texas regional NATS competition in 2010.  

He has performed with various orchestras around the country such as the New Mexico Philharmonic, the New England Symphonic Ensemble and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra. On the operatic stage he has performed the roles of Javier in Luisa Fernanda, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Canio in I Pagliacci, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Don Jose in Carmen, Roberto in Le Villi, Edgar in Puccini's Edgar, Jesus in the newly acclaimed operatic tableaux, Oh My Son by Spanish composer Marcos Galvany and his most recent role of Laertes in Opera Southwest's new world premiere of Amleto by Franco Faccio.

Mr. Gonzalez currently serves on the voice faculty at La Sierra University in Riverside, California.