Help Bring Nicaragua’s Most Celebrated Opera Singer Home

Help Bring Nicaragua’s Most Celebrated Opera Singer Home for Her Final Farewell.

Rest in Peace,

Yolanda Martínez Román Zellner

July 20, 1928 – March 21, 2025

My beloved mother, Yolanda Martínez Román Zellner, was Nicaragua’s most celebrated opera singer of her time.

She graced stages across Europe, Latin America, and New York, enchanting audiences with her extraordinary voice. On March 21, 2025, after a brave month-long battle with MRSA-resistant pneumonia, she passed away peacefully in Los Angeles at age 96.

Because I live in Nicaragua, I was unable to say goodbye in person. The doctors gave hope, but her condition worsened suddenly. I was only able to say farewell over Zoom, while my daughter was fortunate to see her before she passed.

This loss has been devastating.

Her body remains in the morgue because, as an expat architect rebuilding my life after a business failure, I cannot afford the high costs to bring her home to Nicaragua for a proper funeral.

This is why I am asking for your help.

I want to bring my mother home to Managua to honor her final wish: to be laid to rest in the country she loved deeply. If that is not possible, I will have her cremated here and scatter her ashes on Lake Managua and the Pacific coast—places close to her heart.

Why This Matters

Yolanda’s life was a testament to the power of art, music, and resilience. She inspired countless people worldwide and dreamed of giving back by creating a school of singing for disadvantaged children in Nicaragua. I am committed to making that dream a reality, dedicating the school in her honor.

Without your support, the only alternative may be a public burial in Los Angeles’ Potter’s Field—a fate unworthy of her legacy.

My Story

Since the pandemic, I have faced many challenges: a difficult separation, ongoing legal battles, and restarting my career in a new country at age 55. I am working hard here in Nicaragua, but until my architecture and design business grows, I cannot cover the costs to bring her home.

The Plan

- Cremate my mother’s remains in Los Angeles

- Travel to California to collect her ashes

- Bring her ashes back to Nicaragua

- Hold a public funeral and scatter her ashes on Lake Managua

THE GOAL:

$5000.00 USD

How You Can Help

Every donation, no matter the size, brings me closer to fulfilling my mother’s final wishes and honoring her extraordinary life.

Please share this campaign widely with your friends, family, and networks. Your generosity will ensure Yolanda’s legacy lives on and inspire others through the school I plan to eventually create in her name.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

With deepest gratitude,

Peter “Pedro” Joaquín Antonio

Martínez Zellner