Patricia Vergara

Patricia Vergara is an Assistant Professor of Music at the University of California, Merced, affiliated with the Global Arts Studies Program in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Arts. Her research focuses on Mexican corridos’ transnational circulation in Colombia through the lens of political violence, migration, and music production. She holds a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Maryland (2017) and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Piano from Berklee College of Music.

Her work bridges ethnomusicology with studies of coloniality, nation-building, and musical mobilities. Key research areas include music’s role in contexts of violence, spatial dynamics of musical traditions, and intersections of race, class, and gender in Latin American music.

Her accolades include the 2015 Best Paper Prize from the Society for Ethnomusicology’s Latin American Section and the 2017 Hewitt Pantaleoni Prize. A skilled pianist and accordionist, she has performed internationally across jazz and Latin American genres. She has taught at institutions including the University of Maryland, Towson University, and The College of William and Mary.