Dr. Monica C. Martinez is Assistant Professor of Horn at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She currently holds the third Horn position with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra and is also a member of the Hill Country Brass and 956 Brass Trio. In 2022, Dr. Martinez presented as a soloist, adjudicator, and chamber performer with the Chromatic Brass Collective at the International Women’s Brass Conference. The UTRGV Horn Choir was also featured as a music showcase at the 2022 Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/Convention and again at the 54th International Horn Society’s Horn Symposium. Dr. Martinez later presented as a soloist, adjudicator, and chamber performer with the Texas All-Star Horn Professors Horn Choir and the PHAT Big Band . For 2023, she will continue to be featured as a soloist, adjudicator, and chamber performer at the Southeast Horn Workshop (Florida), Mid-South Horn Workshop (Arkansas), and the 55th International Horn Society’s Horn Symposium (Canada). Prior to her time at UTRGV, Dr. Martinez taught public school for Point Isabel ISD, Grades 3-5 at Derry Elementary and private school, Grades 6-12 at San Marcos Baptist Academy. She has held Adjunct Horn Instructor positions for Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi and Prairie View A&M University. She taught as a private Horn instructor for Austin ISD, Pflugerville ISD, and Dripping Springs ISD. As an active freelance musician, she’s performed with the San Antonio Symphony, Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra, Mid-Texas Symphony, Symphony of the Hills - Kerrville, Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, Temple Symphony Orchestra, Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, Round Rock Symphony Orchestra, Central Texas Philharmonic, Austin Symphonic Band, Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Lakeside Pride Symphony Orchestra and the Beloit-Janesville Symphony Orchestra. She achieved a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Horn Performance from The University of Texas at Austin. She also earned dual Bachelor's degrees in Horn Performance and Music Education from Texas A&M University at Kingsville. Her mentors have included Patrick Hughes from The University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Jennifer Ratchford-Sholtis from Texas A&M University at Kingsville, and Robert Ward, Principal Horn of the San Francisco Symphony and Horn instructor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.