Following a successful performance at Cincinnati’s “Challenging Performances” Recital Series in 2009, the Araya Duo quickly gained regional notoriety for its fresh presentation of chamber music works for cello duo, as well as for soprano and cello. From World Premieres of works such as Philip Koplow’s Medieval Voices, written specifically for the group, to presentations of music by classical composers, including Mozart and Haydn, the Araya Duo’s concerts and recitals provide a fresh look at the standard chamber music performance.
The Araya Duo has performed in a wide variety of concert venues, including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s “Party of Note” dinner concert series and the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Donor Fundraiser Dinner. The group was featured during the Grand Opening Celebration of the Evendale Cultural Arts center in Cincinnati, Ohio, prompting Cincinnati’s Valley Courier to describe them as “enchanting” and “delightful.” They performed as the Featured Artists for the Augusta (Kentucky) Art Guild’s 2010 Easter & Spring Solstice Music Festival, following their appearance for the Guild’s 2009 Community Christmas Concert. As part of the Spring Festival, the Araya Duo presented an interactive Children’s “Cello-bration” Concert for the Augusta Independent School System as well as a community chamber music recital. The ensemble has also performed concerts for church chamber music series throughout the East Coast, including recent concert engagements with the Gettsyburg Presbyterian Church (Gettysburg, PA), Bridgeport United Methodist Church (Bridgeport, WV), Fieldale Baptist Church (Fieldale, VA), and Cheviot United Methodist Church (Cincinnati, OH).
The Araya Duo explores repertoire from the Early Baroque to the contemporary, offering innovative and imaginative
programming. Their concerts often include rarely performed works by a wide variety of composers, including
Alessandro Scarlatti, Auguste Franchomme, Reinhold Glière, and Vaclav Nelhybel. The duo is also committed to
presenting contemporary music in a manner that is accessible to the general public. They have performed the
works of numerous living composers, including Leslie Bassett, Lori Laitman, Barbara Harbach, Robin Connell,
and Aaron Minsky. Their close collaboration with composer Philip Koplow prompted him to compose Medieval Voices
for cello and soprano (and audience) for the pair, and the Araya Duo performed the world premiere of this work in 2010.
In 2011, Koplow composed Towers, Storms and Hope!, a work for soprano, two cellos, and orchestra, in commemoration of
the 10th anniversary of 9/11. The piece was premiered in 2011 by the Araya Duo and the Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra.
The Araya Duo is comprised of the husband and wife team of Arturo and Jennifer Araya. Arturo and Jennifer also perform as members of the Springfield, Ohio Symphony and the Hamilton-Fairfield, Ohio Symphony cello sections. Individually, Arturo has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician worldwide, with concerts in France, Italy, China, Norway, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, as well as his native Chile. More recently, Arturo served as Principal Cellist with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra in Shenzhen, China. Jennifer has also performed widely as both a vocalist and as a cellist. She is the cellist for School House Symphony, an educational chamber orchestra that serves schoolchildren in the greater Cincinnati area, and she is the soprano for Les Fleurs de Lys, a chamber ensemble specializing in the performance of French music. Jennifer has performed as a featured cello soloist with the West Virginia University Arts Orchestra and as a featured soprano soloist with the Springfield Symphony, Orchestra, Fairmont State University Orchestra, and University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Chorale. Her solo recitals have been enjoyed by audiences in West Virginia, Ohio, and Virginia.
The Araya Duo are graduates of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Both cellists have studied with Lee Fiser (LaSalle Quartet, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music) and Daniel Culnan (Assistant Principal Cello, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra).
Please find out more about us by exploring our website. We have made available resumes, music samples on mp3, as well as a calendar of events.