Alturas Duo

Scott Hill, guitar

Carlos Boltes, viola & charango

Sending rhythmic vibrations straight

to the heart of audience members with their ground breaking performances, Alturas Duo---the only group of its kind---has been recognized as one of the most entertaining and engaging ensembles performing in the chamber music world today.

March 9th - 12th 2020

Alturas Duo and Juniata College Concert Choir embark on a collaborative tour in Chile

(click image for details)

When we (Scott Hill & Carlos Boltes) came together in 2001 to form the Alturas Duo, little did we know of the adventures we would come to share. We delight in the world of chamber music, working with orchestras and choral ensembles, and collaborating with ours colleagues such as flutist and Andean wind specialist Gonzalo Cortés, pianist and soprano Alexandra Aubert, and the many composers with whom we continue to create new and interesting repertoire.

Whether you are an audience member, concert or festival presenter, museum curator, or educator, we encourage you to browse around our website and discover what we do or what we are currently up to. We love to perform and talk about our music. We love to share. Join us in our musical adventures!

News & Notes

Vox Americana

with Gwyneth Walker

We are thrilled to announce that Alturas Duo's first phase of a programming and recording project features the commission of a new work for viola and guitar by noted American composer Gwyneth Walker. This new piece will be premiered on February 10th 2019 as part of the Connecticut Guitar Festival with a number of other performances to follow.

To learn more about the Alturas Duo's Vox Americana with Gwyneth Walker project which is supported by New Music USA, follow us as it unfolds by visiting our project page by clicking here.

¡Colaboración!

Alturas Duo and

Cuarteto Latinoamericano

Following a

successful collaboration in

March 2018, Alturas Duo and Cuarteto Latinoamericano join forces with a touring program.

Click here to request information.

David Macbride

American composer David Macbride, also a professor of composition and music theory at the Hartt School of Music, passed away on September 7th 2018. Click here to learn more about David and his music.

"It's not about them... It's about us."

This aphorism was delivered in 2008 by author Luis Alberto Urrea while giving a lecture on his Pulitzer Prize nominated book The Devil's Highway at Keene State College in New Hampshire. It was mentioned in the context of the "other" and people's attitudes toward Mexican immigrants. These words have remained with us not just for their profundity, but also because of what happened while they were being expressed.

Just prior to Mr. Urrea's talk, Alturas Duo performed ¡No mas muertes!, a piece by David Macbride written for viola, guitar, and narrator using text from Urrea's book. As David was the narrator for this performance, we were all still seated together on stage when the author said these words. David just nodded his head with an almost quizzical look on his face while saying, "Yeah man, yeah!" under his breath... as if this wasn't the most obvious possible submission!

This is the person we remember and what we believe will remain the most enduring part of his legacy. David, we are going to miss your friendship, advice, and of course, your exquisite music.

Rock on, Macnovia.

---Scott Hill and Carlos Boltes

Casa de Cultura de Girona