Five Reasons to Love Larisa Martinez
Opera singer Larisa Martinez made both her Kennedy Center debut at the inaugural REACH festival and her Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium debut in 2019. For the last two years, Larisa has been touring with Andrea Bocelli throughout North America including Madison Square Garden, South America, and Europe. Here are five reasons that we love Larisa — in addition to her incredible talent.
1 – Her sense of style is impeccable. If you sneak a peek at her Instagram, you’ll see that Larisa has worn gowns by Marc Bouwer, Simin Couture, and more. While always classic and beautiful, her style matches her voice perfectly. With iconic taste similar to Grace Kelly or Katherine Hepburn, Larisa is a glamour inspiration!
2 – She represents diversity in the arts. Larisa, born in Puerto Rico, grew up salsa dancing before she heard opera. She grew up in “The Music Capital of Puerto Rico,” Orocovis, the hometown of many other accomplished musicians (including Edwin Colón Zayas, Bobby Valentín, and Manny Manuel).
3 – Larisa is one half of a musical power couple. She married conductor and violinist Joshua Bell in October of 2019 after 7 years together. The couple collaborated on Medici TV’s Christmas Special, Joshua Bell and Friends. The star power crept into their wedding, too. It was officiated by New York Times columnist David Brooks.
Opera singer Larisa Martinez with Usher (left) and with Bill Murray (right).
Opera singer Larisa Martinez with Kristin Chenoweth (left) and with President Obama (right).
4 – She’s both beauty and brains. Though she has been a student of opera for more than a decade, Larisa studied environmental science in college. When she and Joshua met, they initially bonded over not only their mutual love of music, but also over their mutual love of physicist Brian Greene — seriously!
Opera singer Larisa Martinez with beloved Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
5 – Her friends are... kindof a big deal. A scroll through her Instagram account will reveal pictures of Larisa with some of music’s big players — plus a few politicians and pop culture icons. From summers with Bill Murray and performances with Pia Toscano to meditating with Usher and chatting with Barack Obama, Larisa is officially one of the coolest opera singers ever. And, of course, regular selfies with Andrea Bocelli himself don’t hurt!