Martha Lopez is a distinguished lyric-coloratura soprano, recording artist, and educator whose career bridges performance, scholarship, and community engagement. A classically trained pianist, she is especially devoted to the art song repertoire and to mentoring the next generation of musicians.
A native of New Jersey, she began her musical journey at age six as a classical pianist. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Stetson University in 1997 and, after beginning her career in music education, shifted her focus to classical voice. She completed her Master of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of South Florida in 2006. Her ongoing vocal studies have taken her to New York to work with renowned voice scholar and author Shirlee Emmons, and she currently studies with esteemed vocal coach Rosa Vento.

Her dedication to her craft has made her a sought-after performer nationwide, both in recital and as a concert soloist. She has appeared with Opera Tampa, New Century Opera, St. Petersburg Opera, Pops Orchestra of Sarasota, and the North Port Symphony.

Committed to expanding access to classical music, Martha has embraced digital performance, presenting live-streamed art song recitals to audiences across the United States and internationally, including Argentina, Thailand, Germany, and Slovenia. In 2013, she released her debut album, Encanto: Art Songs of Spain and Latin America, featuring 23 works from Spain, Argentina, and Cuba by composers including Joaquín Turina, Xavier Montsalvatge, and Carlos Guastavino. Music critic Celeste Mann praised her voice, writing that “the clear soprano rings like a bell, highlighting the heartfelt sincerity of this repertoire.”

Her second album, Seven Sacred Songs, was released in 2014, followed by It’s for You…for Christmas! (2016), a collaboration with pianist Lurray Myers. In 2018, she released For the Heart, From the Heart, a live recording of her 2017 recital featuring works by Bellini, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Poulenc, de Falla, and Willis.

Martha has also appeared on the dramatic stage. In 2017, she made her debut in the Sarasota Players’ New Play Reading Festival and later that year performed the role of Ofelia in Nilo Cruz’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Anna in the Tropics at the Manatee Performing Arts Center.

Deeply committed to philanthropy and community outreach, Martha served from 2011 to 2014 as Director of Ben & I Play for Peace – Sarasota, collaborating with young guitarist and philanthropist Ben Werdegar to raise funds for children with disabilities in need of wheelchairs. The initiative earned recognition from the United States House of Representatives and was featured on NPR’s From the Top.

Outside of her performing career, Martha is a Level 1 Certified Tennis Coach through the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR). She coaches with Buddy Up for Life at the Meadows Racquet Club in Sarasota, an organization that provides fitness and tennis programs for athletes with Down syndrome. Through this work, she combines her passion for athletics with her lifelong commitment to mentorship and service.

As an educator, Martha served on the Voice Faculty at the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, from 2007 to 2019 and returned in 2022. She has taught Applied Voice to both majors and non-majors, guiding singers at every stage of development. She currently serves as Director of Music at the Church of the Nativity – Episcopal in Sarasota, Florida.