By Clarissa Gauna, MS ’23
The goal for Mariana Barron Esper, BA '19, no matter where life takes her, is to evoke peace, love and faith in the people she comes across. Her primary vessel for doing so is her music, which has been nominated for the International Catholic Music Awards, presented by the Vatican.
A proud graduate of UIW, Esper earned a bachelor's in Music and International Affairs in 2019. When looking back at what made her decide to choose UIW for the next four years, she says that her family was a major factor in that decision. For starters, her oldest sister, Maricarmen Barron Esper, attended UIW and graduated in 2017, in addition her mother has also taken a handful of classes. Esper remembers her sister thriving during her time at the University, continually sharing how happy she was with the education she received and the connections she was making with both classmates and professors. And if that wasn’t enough for her to know she had made the right choice. Years later, while on a trip leading up to her graduation, Esper discovered that her family roots here at the University ran even deeper than she realized.
While visiting her paternal grandmother in Queretaro, Mexico, Esper learned that the University had been interwoven into her family’s history long before she decided to attend. Back in 1960, Esper’s grandmother, Maria Del Carmen Cepeda, was studying in Saltillo, Mexico, at a school run by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. During that time, the Sisters noticed Cepeda’s dedication to academics, specifically music and gave her a recommendation to attend what was then known as Incarnate Word College (IWC). With the support of the Sisters and her determination to be successful, Cepeda made her way to San Antonio to pursue her studies at IWC.
Hearing about her grandmother’s time at IWC made Esper realize the parallels between both Cepeda’s journey and her own. Coincidentally, both her and her grandmother studied the same instrument, the piano, and both made a point to attend daily mass on campus. Cepeda’s involvement on campus also mirrored Esper’s, in that both were part of campus life groups that gave them the chance to meet students from different places and backgrounds, and through those experiences, they became lifelong friends.
The two were also able to relate in other ways, as Esper shares, “I was moved and excited about the similarities we had both experienced as music students. Semester presentations of her piano pieces to the music department, getting nervous before performances, and a love for a wide range of composers and pieces has also been ingrained in my journey to become a better musician every day.”
One last point that Esper and her grandmother both agreed on was the type of professors they encountered while in school. Cepeda shared that the professors she met during her time at IWC were kind and “extremely comprehensive”, something that Esper could attest to while completing her own studies. When asked which professors made the most impact on her journey, it was not a short list. Esper highlights professors such as Dr. Ara Koh, for helping her stay disciplined in classical piano lessons and musicality, Dr. Scott Dittloff and Dr. Kevin Salfen for being strong advisors for both of her degrees, and Dr. Hermes Camacho, who served as her private music composition professor, for “helping me believe in myself, do ‘hard music things’, and pursue music 100%, even with all the hardships that came with that journey.”
In addition to working hard on her craft in the classroom, Esper also made time to be involved on campus, sharing that she served as the Student Government Association (SGA) president and was a senator on the SGA board for international students prior to her presidency. Other organizations she was a part of include Amnesty International, where she was president her junior year, UIW’s Pre-Law Society and the Music Industry Club. Of course, she was also a part of the UIW Chorale and Cardinal Singers.
Esper shares, “I loved taking advantage of all the clubs and organizations!”, as it helped her connect with a broader range of students than she would have been able to do otherwise.
On top of her studies and her roles in organizations and clubs on campus, Esper was also recommended by her professors to perform at events, one of those being the 11th Annual Research Week in 2018. At that event, Esper was asked to be the keynote performer, where she performed a handful of her original songs alongside other musicians. After completing her performance, it only fanned the flame, encouraging her to chase her music dreams, sharing, “I felt very honored and motivated to continue to pursue my music path”.
Now six years post-grad, Esper is making waves in the music industry, where she is known as MARIANA BE. She has been recording, producing and writing albums professionally around the world, though currently, she is making her musical mark in the Holy Land. Through her efforts, Esper has had the opportunity to record and perform internationally—in Spain, London, Mexico, the United States, and Israel—where she hopes her music uplifts those it reaches and helps them find purpose. When asked to describe her sound, she shares, “It has always been hard for me to pick just one genre. My current work blends Pop, World Pop (inspired by my Arabic roots), Christian/Catholic, Latin Pop and Acoustic Singer-Songwriter styles”, in addition to loving soul and piano ballads as well. When it comes to what inspires her music, Esper says inspiration comes from all around her, explaining that in the beginning, her songs were often from a place of not fitting in, feeling like an outcast while trying to figure out who she wanted to be. As she’s gotten older, though, that inspiration has changed, sharing, “I often get inspired by observing the human experience, by love, romance, faith, spirituality and seeking a sense of peace and connection with humanity through our common values.”
Deep into creating two new albums, Esper says there is a ton to look forward to and is most excited to tour the world and perform for those who are fans of her work. When asked if she had a favorite song that she has put out, she explains, “That is such a hard question to answer and will be even more so when the new albums are released. But if she had to choose her songs ‘City of Lights 2.0’ and ‘New Life’ are top contenders, each having their own special story.”
When Esper first performed “City of Lights 2.0”, it was for her high school pop show, and she shared that the feedback she received from her peers was “incredible and unexpected” giving her a boast of confidence to continue exploring this as a profession. The backstory for “New Life”, is another one of her favorites to tell. While explaining how the song came to be, Esper shares, “I believe it was given to me by the Holy Spirit, Jesus and Mary Magdalene since I wrote it in Magdala, by the Sea of Galilee inside the Mary Magdalene Chapel and it just came very quickly and naturally to me!” For her, the best part about the song is the reaction people have to it while listening, connecting to the song in a spiritual and personal sense. You can listen to MARIANA BE and all her songs on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
Earlier this year, Esper learned that she has been nominated for the International Catholic Music Awards, presented by the Vatican, in a handful of categories in English. These categories include Best New Singer, Best Female Singer, Best Evangelization Song, Best Music Production for her song, “New Life”, Best Music Video for “New Life” and Best English Song for “New Life”. She won the Best Evangelization Song for "New Life". Because of this honor, MARIANA BE performed in Rome, Italy as part of the awards ceremony and music festival on July 27 and July 29, 2025.
Through it all, Esper is especially thankful for her time at UIW, her mentors and peers, and her family history at the University, for leading her to where she is today. She shares “My sister, my mother, my grandmother and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to have attended an institution founded under the example of the greatest gift to humanity, the Incarnate Word.” She feels blessed to be able to purse her passion for music and share that with the world, explaining, “I am grateful I have the opportunity to take part in music projects that align with my spiritual values, which I hope can connect with many people across the world regardless of their beliefs.”