Ana María Martínez, a professor of voice at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and a Grammy Award-winning operatic soprano, has lent her voice to an Oscar-nominated song this awards season.
The song “Sweet Dreams of Joy” from the feature documentary “Viva Verdi!” has been nominated for Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards. Composed by Nicholas Pike and performed by Martínez, the piece will compete against four other nominees: “Dear Me” from “Diane Warren: Relentless,” “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters,” “I Lied to You” from “Sinners” and the title song from “Train Dreams.”
“Viva Verdi!” offers an intimate look inside Casa Verdi, a retirement home in Milan founded in 1896 by composer Giuseppe Verdi for aging opera singers and musicians. The documentary follows residents living what many describe as their “third act,” spotlighting their artistry, personal histories and mentorship of international music students who live among them. The film ultimately reflects on Verdi’s enduring legacy and the power of music to sustain artists across a lifetime.
Martínez is widely regarded as one of the foremost sopranos of her generation. Her international career spans many of the world’s leading opera houses and concert halls, and her repertoire includes some of opera’s most celebrated and demanding leading ladies. She joined Houston Grand Opera in 2019 as the company’s first artistic adviser and became a professor at the Shepherd School in July 2021 after serving two years as an artist-in-residence. This spring, Martínez will perform the roles of Despina in Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” and Catrina in Gabriela Lena Frank’s (’94, ’96) “El último sueño de Frida y Diego” with the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
In addition to her extensive performance career, Martínez has become a prominent advocate and educator for the next generation of musicians, combining high-level artistry with mentorship and leadership. Her recent honors also include being named the 2026 Texas State Musician-Classical, one of the state’s highest artistic distinctions.
The Academy Awards will air March 15 on ABC and stream on Hulu.