Mezzo-Soprano & Bass Clarinet
Contemporary Music Duo
Duo Mutis was created in 2015 by Japanese singer Ayumi Maesato and Chilean clarinet player Alvaro Zegers. The main objective of this duo is to play contemporary music, but they travel through other musical genres like classical music and Japanese traditional music. Ayumi’s very large register allows her to sing music for soprano lyrique, mezzo soprano and even contralto. Alvaro’s clarinets, B flat, A, basset horn, bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet give this duo a musical universe rich in contrasts, colors and timbres.
"Here we have two talented artists who converge to present contemporary music for voice and clarinets. Their repertory’s eclecticism proves that the transmission of this music through the generations it’s a reality. Ayumi’s and Alvaro’s commitment makes this music immediately accessible to everyone, and it’s a pleasure to hear and look at. Their talents and characters give hope to the safeguarding and spreading of the XX and XXI century's music."Alain Damiens / Ensemble Intercontemporain
"They have studied two times with me at the Fribourg Ensemble Akademie. This group of two musicians does not only show a brilliant technique but also overflows with many musical ideas. They are also remarcable, in this very particular ensemble, by their professional way of engaging their repertory and by the expressive qualities of their interpretations. I wish them success for the future and I recommend them to all concert organizers with all my heart."Shizuyo Oka / Ensemble Recherche
ARTISTS
AYUMI MAESATO
Born in Tokyo, Japan, mezzo-soprano and pianist Ayumi Maesato began studying piano at the age of three and singing at sixteen. She graduated from Tokyo College of Music, earning her bachelor's degree in 2008 and her master's degree in 2010.From 2010 to 2012, she studied at the Tokyo Nikikai Opera Foundation's Opera Studio, where she participated in concerts for selected students and performed as a replacement Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. She has received awards and distinctions in competitions in Japan and Paris, including Second Prize at the Tama Fresh Competition in 2011.In 2014, she moved to Paris to continue her vocal studies with Nathalie Spinosi at the Schola Cantorum de Paris, where she also studied chamber music with Alain Damiens. In 2017, she graduated with the Diplôme Supérieur, receiving the highest distinction.Since 2015, contemporary music has been a central focus of her artistic work. After returning to Japan in 2019, she continued performing contemporary music while expanding her activities into jazz and fusion, contributing to numerous album recordings as both a vocalist and pianist. She also collaborated as a guest vocalist on MU, an album by Chilean musicians Cristián Crisosto and Christian Hirth.Since relocating to Germany in 2023, Maesato has continued to pursue her diverse musical interests, bringing together contemporary music, vocal performance, and a broad range of musical styles.
ALVARO ZEGERS
Alvaro was born in Santiago de Chile, Chile. His father, an architect and an amateur musician, taught him form a very early age music theory, harmony and the guitar, which he would study for 8 years. When he was 16 years old he begun studying composition and flute with Cristian Crisosto, a chiliean musician and composer.In 2007 he was admitted at the conservatory of the Universidad Católica de Chile, where he would major in composition and clarinet, with Francisco Gouet, first chair of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile.In 2011 he came to France to continue his studies with Philippe Cuper, Alexandre Chabod, Alain Billard and Alain Damiens.He has played in orchestras as the Chilean National Orchestra and the Orchestre Philarmonique Royal de Liège (Belgium). He won the 2nd prize in the Picardie National Competition – France – bass clarinet in 2014, and the 1st prize in the Lempdes National Competition – France – also in bass clarinet in 2015.He is currently studying at the Paris Saclay University and the Versailles Conservatory, at the Master’s program MIP.In 2015 he created Duo MUTIS with Ayumi Maesato, a duo specialized in contemporary music for clarinets and female voice.
PERFORMANCES
⇧Click the album cover to listen on Spotify.
Duo MUTIS I— Debut AlbumDuo MUTIS I, the duo's debut album, brings together a rich and diverse selection of works under the musical direction of Alain Damiens, former clarinetist of the Ensemble intercontemporain.Spanning a wide musical landscape, from Tchaikovsky and Webern to contemporary masters such as Franco Donatoni and Pascal Dusapin, the album also features world-premiere recordings of works by emerging composers of today.An ambitious and compelling musical journey, Duo MUTIS invites listeners to discover the expressive possibilities of mezzo-soprano and bass clarinet.
