State Artist Eva Ybarra

Description

Eva Ybarra, 2022 Texas State Musician, is a conjunto accordionist, composer, music educator, and bandleader. Ybarra hails from San Antonio, Texas. She grew up in a musical family. At the age of four, Eva received her first accordion. A self-taught accordionist, she picked up most of the early tunes she learned how to play by listening to the radio. Ybarra’s accordion playing pushes the boundaries of the conjunto genre. Dramatic, passionate, and captivating, Eva Ybarra moves her audience to gritos from the heart. Known professionally as La Reina Del Acordeon, Ybarra takes her fans through a blend of conjunto, mariachi, and to the edge of jazz with a passion that translates across generations. Her powerful voice and soul-playing accordion style have made her a legend in conjunto music. Over her storied career, Ybarra has received numerous lifetime achievement recognitions and is a multi-time Hall-of-Famer. In 2015, a sold-out play based on Ybarra’s life story was produced titled, ‘La Reina del Acordeon: Eva Ybarra’s Life on Stage.’ In 2017, the National Endowment for the Arts named Ybarra a National Heritage Fellow. Eva is currently the bandleader, accordionist, and lead vocalist for Eva Ybarra Y Su Conjunto Siempre.