Jose Maria maintains an active presence in the training of opera singers throughout the United States and abroad. He has been guest faculty and Master Class leader for  high-profile training programs such as the San Francisco Opera Center, Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program, Houston Grand Opera Studio, Lyric Opera of Chicago Ryan Opera Center, Seattle Opera Young Artists' Program, San Francisco Conservatory of Music,  the New National Theatre Young Artists' Programme (Tokyo) and the Opera Theater of Lucca (Italy).

His training program-related directing work include La Boheme, La Cenerentola, Gianni Schicchi and Suor Angelica (Merola Opera Program, San Francisco Opera Center), Cosi fan Tutte (Seattle Opera YAP) and Barber of Seville for Families (Lyric Opera of Chicago) as well as a number of staged scenes program in the United States, Japan, Italy and Argentina.

Along with mezzosoprano Catherine Cook, he is also the founder of West Coast Opera Workshop, a Bay Area-based training program focusing on Audition training. He is also the director and leader of the Opera Santa Barbara Studio Artist Program