Javier Jose Mendoza

Associate Professor | FIU  Symphony Orchestra Conductor

Tel: 305-348-2896

Email: javier.mendoza@fiu.edu

Location: WPAC 143B

Javier José Mendoza is FIU Symphony Orchestra Conductor at the Florida International University Wertheim School of Music, and enjoys a varied career in music performance and higher education. He recently collaborated with Warner Music Latina and Yandel to premiere Yandel Sinfónico in Miami —a concept that bridged música urbana with symphonic music and launched its U.S. tour in May 2025.

At FIU Maestro Mendoza conducts the FIU Symphony Orchestra, the FIU Festival Orchestra, and Opera Theater productions along with teaching and conducting. During the 2023-24 season Mendoza was a Fulbright Research Fellow at the Centro Superior de Investigación y Promoción de la Música and Honorary Professor at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. He also coordinates the School of Music collaboration with the Santa Fe Opera, which recently led to the premiere of Is This America?, an opera in one act commissioned by the Opera for All Voices consortium headed up by the Santa Fe Opera. Is This America? tells the story of voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and was written by Chandler Carter and Diana Solomon-Glover.

Mendoza has been the Artistic Director of the Chicago Arts Orchestra (CAO) since 2005. Under Mendoza’s direction the CAO has consistently been named a “Critics Pick” by Time Out Chicago and a “Recommend” by the Chicago Tribune’s John von Rhein. Early Music Today praises the CAO, “the Chicago Arts Orchestra plays terrifically,” and Steven Ritter of Audiophile Audition claims that the CAO is an “exciting group for sure.” In 2014, Mendoza led the CAO to being named “Professional Orchestra of the Year” by The Illinois Council of Orchestras. Mendoza’s work with the CAO can be heard on the albums, Al combate, and Ignacio Jerusalem: Mass in G. In 2017 Mendoza led the CAO on tour to Mexico City with performances at the Catedral Metropolitana, Anfiteatro Simón Bolivar, and Sala Nezahualcóyotl at the invitation of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Mendoza is active in a movement to unearth and re-debut forgotten works from viceregal Latin America and is energetically re-premiering pieces in an effort to bring this wonderful music back into public awareness. Fanfare Magazine describes Mendoza as one of the “guiding lights” in this movement. He has presented lectures on the subject at Loyola University-Chicago, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Virginia Tech, Instituto Cervantes, International University of Andalucía, and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Mendoza has appeared as a conductor with the CAO on the Chicago Latino Music Festival from 2015-17, the largest festival of its kind in the USA. Guest conducting work has been with Opera Maya in Quintana Roo, Mexico where Mendoza presented the first orchestral concert performed at Tulum, one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya. Mendoza has performed with the CAO and Opera Maya across Mexico including performances in San Miguel de Allende, Campeche, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Chetumal. Other international performances have been with the State Philharmonic of Sibiu, Romania, the Camerata Antonio Soler in El Escorial, Spain, and as guest conductor at the University of Copenhagen. Maestro Mendoza also conducted the inaugural concert of the Bolivar Phil in Miami.

Recent notable concerts include engagements in Bolivia, Chicago, and Madrid with the Camerata Antonio Soler. With the Camerata Antonio Soler Mendoza directed the recording, El Cielo y Sus Estrellas published by Orchid Classics. Concert for Cuba on the FIU Music Festival, the Grand Opening concert of the Miami Piano Festival, conducting the closing concert of the Festival Internacional de Música Renacentista y Barroca Americana- “Misiones de Chiquitos” in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, and concerts at St. Francis Auditorium with the Young Voices of the Santa Fe Opera, and FIU students. Of particular note was the Cantata Criolla presented in 2024. This collaboration between the FIU Symphony Orchestra/ Choirs and Encatus Voices, CUSIB Global, and Amazonia Vocal Ensemble, with the choirs being prepared by Maria Guinand, Maibel Troia, Anaida Carquez Soler, and Dr. Erynn Millard.

Mendoza studied at Butler University with Henry Leck and received his Master of Music degree with distinction from the University of New Mexico where he was mentored by composer/conductor Bradley Ellingboe. While in New Mexico Mendoza was an apprentice conductor to Roger Melone, Resident Conductor of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. Mendoza received the Doctor of Arts degree from Ball State University. At Ball State, he studied with Bohuslav Rattay, Michael Hall, and Doug Droste. He received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award, and awards/grants for his research. Additional study was completed in Europe with Jorma Panula and at the conductor-training program of the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, with Maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti.