Praised by The Washington Post as playing with “marvelous virtuosity,” Alturas Duo is recognized as one of the most engaging ensembles performing in the chamber music today. Bringing together the worlds of South American folk, Western classical, and contemporary music, guitarist Scott Hill and violist and charango player Carlos Boltes have performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Central and South America to great acclaim. As Christopher Zimmerman, Music Director of The Fairfax Symphony, notes: Scott Hill and Carlos Boltes as “the Alturas Duo are the quintessential 21st century artists.”

 

With its unusual combination of viola, charango, and guitar; Alturas Duo creates spirited and passionate programs that move with ease between the Baroque, South American melodies and rhythms learned through the oral tradition, and newly commissioned repertoire. Alturas Duo has won numerous awards ranging from First Prize at the New England International Chamber Music Competition, the CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, to the 2020 World Folk Vision popular vote award and jury selection for best Latin Music Band.

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Their quest for new musical experiences has led Alturas Duo to exciting collaborations with artists and ensembles as diverse as guitarist and composer Horacio Salinas, charango virtuoso Ernesto Cavour, Argentine bandoneón legend and Piazzolla bandmate Daniel Binelli, Cuarteto Latinoamericano, the Voce Choir of Hartford, the Washington Choral Arts Society, the Callisto Quartet, the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, and East Coast Contemporary Ballet.

 

As their instrumentation is quite unique, Alturas Duo works regularly with composers to broaden the repertoire and expand their musical possibilities. This has led to 60+ additions to the repertoire featuring the guitar, viola, and/or charango in chamber music settings as well as works for the choral and orchestral worlds. Collaborations with composers include Leo Brouwer, Ronald Pearl, David Macbride, Javier Farías, and Raimundo Penaforte to name a few. Some of the most significant works Alturas Duo has commissioned and premiered include Farías’ Oceana (for guitar, viola, charango and mixed chorus) and El Vuelo de tu Alma (for guitar and charango, alt. with string orchestra), David Macbride’s No mas muertes, and Leo Brouwer's Por el amor se ve (for guitar and viola).  

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Their work with such performers and composers has had the Alturas Duo performing in venues and for presenters such as Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, Merkin Hall, the Smithsonian Institute, the Historic Asolo Theater, Le Petit Trianon (CA), La Maison de Mai (Paris), the

34th International Viola Congress, La Guitarra California, and Music Mountain.

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Alturas has been recorded for release on the Brioso, Con Brio, and Ravello Records (PARMA) labels in addition to its collaboration with Joseph Holt and the Choral Arts Society of Washington for an award-winning release of a collection of works by the celebrated Argentinian composer Ariel Ramírez, including Misa Criolla, for Naxos.

 

The Alturas Duo was founded while Carlos Boltes and Scott Hill were pursuing their graduate studies at the Hartt School of Music. In addition to its performing and commissioning new music, Alturas Duo embraces its role as educators and music advocates. The duo has given hundreds of lectures, outreach programs and conferences at festivals, universities and colleges with students ranging elementary school to university level and beyond. At various points during its history, Alturas Duo has had the pleasure to serve as a “Goodwill Ambassador” for the Chilean-American Foundation and as Artist-in-Residence for Intempo in Stamford (CT). The name Alturas, Spanish for “heights,” is derived from the poem “Alturas de Macchu Picchu” by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.