Luis Miguel Araya

Luis Miguel Araya, winner of the Ellsworth Smith International Solo Competition 2004, was a member of the Costa Rica National Symphony Orchestra from 1997 to 2012, participating in its tours to Germany, Spain and Japan. Currently, he is trumpet professor at Universidad Nacional and the Universidad de Costa Rica. Additional teaching experience includes teaching at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (2014-2016) and University of Central Florida (2017-2019).

Born in Alajuela, Costa Rica in May, 1974, Araya started his musical training at the “Conservatorio Castella” Arts High School with professors Edwin Amador and Jorge Duarte. After graduation he entered the University of Costa Rica’s school of music, studying with professor Ricardo Vargas. Additional study was with Gilbert Johnson (former principal trumpet of the Philadelphia Orchestra), Josef Pomberger of the Vienna Philharmonic, Rod Franks of the London Symphony Orchestra, the Empire Brass, and Ronald Romm long-time member of the renowned Canadian Brass, and in December of 2023 attended a seminar taught by Reinhold Friedrich.

Known as a very versatile player and author, Araya has played a wide range of musical styles, from Classical music to popular and Latin music, including collaborations with Rubén Blades, Armando Manzanero, Gilberto Santarosa, Juan Gabriel, Tito Rojas, Mercedes Sosa, and numerous Costa-Rican Salsa bands. As an Author, Araya has published two research articles for the International Trumpet Guild (in 2014 and 2023). As a soloist, Araya has played three times with the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, two with the renowned conductor Irwin Hoffman (concertos of Haydn and Hummel), and the third on a season concert at the National Theater under the baton of Ferenc Gabor (2006), playing Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E-flat. Other solo performances include appearances with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Uppsala Chamber Orchestra (Sweden) as part of the Credomatic Music Festival, Loyola University Chamber Orchestra (New Orleans, USA, after winning the Concerto/Aria Competition), Heredia Municipal Symphony Orchestra (Costa Rica), National Institute of Music’s Chamber Orchestra and Wind Ensemble (Costa Rica), and the National Wind Symphony of Costa Rica, among others.

In 1999 Araya spent a season as guest principal trumpet of the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra. Other orchestral experiences have been with the Miami Symphony Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (while finishing his Master’s degree at Loyola University), Youth Orchestra of the Americas (Pablo Casals Festival’s educational program), and the Pacific Music Festival orchestra in Japan under the batons of Christof Eschenbach and Myung Gung Chung. Other festivals attended by Araya include the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute (Denver, Colorado), First Chamber Music Festival of Central America (Nicaragua), the Brass Festival of the Costa Rican Trombone Quartet, and a solo recital at the International Trumpet Guild Conference 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand. Other ITG appearances occurred at the conferences of 2014 and 2019. In October of 2018, Dr. Araya was one of the artists present at the “Primer Congreso Iberoamericano de Trompeta” in Cancún, Mexico.

In 2006 Araya collaborated with Russian organist and musicologist Elena Keylina in a series of concerts at the “Las Mercedes” Church in the town of Grecia (Costa Rica). He also presented a master class at Ithaca College (USA) in February 2006, and in April 2007 returned to his alma mater, Loyola University, to play as a soloist with the Wind Ensemble and present master classes. In March 2009, he performed Giuseppe Tartini’s Trumpet Concerto with the Arizona State University Chamber Orchestra after winning the Concert of Soloists competition. Other recent activities include a master class and concert with the Washburn University Wind Ensemble (May, 2009). Araya has enjoyed a very active chamber music career as a member of many ensembles including The Dallas Brass, Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, Brass Band of Central Florida, the Sonoran Brass Quintet, solo cornet with the Salt River Brass conducted by Patrick Sheridan and Samuel Pilafian, and soprano cornet with the Central Florida Brass Band.

Araya holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the National Institute of Music (Costa Rica) and a Master of Music degree from Loyola University in New Orleans. During his DMA degree at Arizona State University, Dr. Araya studied with Regents’ Professor of Trumpet, David R. Hickman (2008- 2011). Araya plays instruments fabricated by the renowned maker B&S of the Buffet Group and plays Warburton mouthpieces and mutes.