| Honour | 2026 NEA National Heritage Fellow |
|---|---|
| Art | Mexican Folk Musicians |
| From | Chicago, Illinois |
Juan Díes and Victor G. Pichardo have spent more than three decades preserving, performing, and teaching Mexican son, a rich tradition of regional folk music from across Mexico, including styles such as huapango, gustos, chilenas, and son jarocho. In 1994, they co-founded Sones de México Ensemble in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, establishing a group that functions as a nonprofit organization dedicated to the performance, education, and celebration of Mexican son. Through their contributions to the preservation, teaching, and performance of Mexican son, they have helped establish the tradition as a vital part of the American musical landscape.
Juan Díes was raised in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and is a musician, educator, and cultural leader with training in music and ethnomusicology. His work has brought Sones de México to major stages, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. He previously served as director of Community Programs at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, where he expanded access to traditional arts education.
Victor G. Pichardo, a multi-instrumentalist and composer from Mexico City, has dedicated more than 45 years to Mexican folk music, collaborating with influential artists such as Amparo Ochoa and Oscar Chávez. He learned through oral tradition from musicians across Mexico’s regional styles and has spent more than 35 years teaching Mexican music to hundreds of youth and adults in Mexico and the United States. As a composer, he draws on these traditions and brings them into new musical settings. Pichardo is currently an artist in residence at the University of Notre Dame where he directs the university's mariachi ensemble, splitting his time between Morelos, México and South Bend, Indiana.
Through performances, workshops, residencies, and the Mexican Music School, Díes and Pichardo have taught hundreds of students across generations, blending technical skill with deep cultural knowledge. Through the Music School, programs such as A Musical Geography of Mexico and corrido-writing workshops support language preservation, historical understanding, and family-centered learning. Their teaching encourages students to incorporate music into their daily lives while strengthening cultural identity and connection to heritage. They mentor emerging musicians, support visiting artists, and inspire new ensembles, helping to ensure that Mexican son continues to grow and thrive in communities across the United States.
Together, Díes and Pichardo have developed an extensive discography, including recordings that earned both Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations. Díes was named a 2019 United States Artists Fellow in Traditional Arts and a 2026 Mid-America Arts Alliance Walking Together grantee in folklife. Both artists have received multiple Illinois Arts Council Artist Master Apprentice grants and Fellowships.
Work Sample
"La Iguana" (arr. by V. Pichardo; performed by Sones de México Ensemble including V. Pichardo, J. Díes & guests)
Transcript
No transcript available at this time.
"Huapangos/Irish Washer Woman" (arr. by V. Pichardo; performed by Sones de México Ensemble including V. Pichardo, J. Díes & guests)
Transcript
No transcript available at this time.
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