DIRECTIONS: St Francis Episcopal Church
Duo Exaudi, Guitar Virtuosos in Concert
with a Prelude performance by the Bay Area Guitar Quintet
Performing as a duo since 2012, Belorussian guitarist Elina Chekan and Cuban guitarist René Izquierdo met as post-graduate students at Yale University studying with acclaimed professor Benjamin Verdery. Chekan and Izquierdo formed Duo Exaudi out of their desire to combine creative talents to increase and explore the guitar duo repertoire.
The duo has performed in major concert venues in the U.S., Russia, and Europe to great critical acclaim. Both award-winning solo artists, together Chekan and Izquierdo are a tour de force. Duo Exaudi’s commitment to contemporary music and expanding the guitar repertoire has led to collaborations with composers such as Jorge Morel, Carlos Rafael Rivera, Colette Mourey, and Carl Schimmel.
Praised for their phrasing and musical sensitivity, Duo Exaudi’s playing is technically superb, well balanced and exceptionally musical.
Prelude performance by the Bay Area Guitar Quintet
Formed in 2024, the Bay Area Guitar Quintet is composed of Alan Chen, Ethan Lin, Campbell Muffly, Quintin Muffly, and Yuan Xing. The group is coached by Angelica Artelt, who also teaches four students privately, with the fifth, Campbell Muffly, taught by both Artelt and Scott Cmiel at the Pre-College Division of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
All five members of the quintet started the guitar with the Suzuki method and attended the San Francisco Conservatory's Summer Guitar Workshop together. With a broad-ranging repertoire, the ensemble cites Andrew York as a favorite composer. When not playing the guitar, these young artists can be found performing in local theater productions, backpacking, and entering math competitions. 
