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.

Born in Santiago, Chile, Álvaro Zegers began his musical education at an early age under the guidance of his father, an architect and amateur musician, who introduced him to music theory, harmony and guitar. At the age of sixteen, he began studying composition and flute with Chilean musician and composer Cristian Crisosto.
In 2007, he was admitted to the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where he pursued studies in composition and clarinet with Francisco Gouet, principal clarinetist of the Chilean National Symphony Orchestra. In 2011, he moved to France to continue his musical training, studying with Philippe Cuper, Alexandre Chabod, Alain Billard and Alain Damiens. He subsequently earned a Master's degree in Musicology and Clarinet from the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and a Diplôme de Concert from the Schola Cantorum de Paris.
Álvaro has performed with orchestras including the Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile, the New Japan Philharmonic, the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège and the Hofer Symphoniker. He is an endorsed artist of Vandoren Paris and Henri Selmer Paris.
In 2014, he was awarded second prize in the Concours National de Clarinettes en Picardie, France, and in 2015, first prize at the Concours National de Musique de Lempdes, France, both in the bass clarinet category. In 2019, he performed the world premiere in Spain of FUNA, a concerto for contrabass clarinet and ensemble by Chilean composer Cristian Morales-Ossio, as a soloist.
Alongside his orchestral and solo work, Álvaro is deeply involved in contemporary music. In 2015, he co-founded Duo Mutis with vocalist Ayumi Maesato, an ensemble dedicated to exploring contemporary repertoire for low clarinets and female voice.

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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.