LuisToro Araya

Press

• Ginastera & Brahms

  Sinfónica de la Región de Murcia

  Jan 2025

  • It is not often that a young musician like Luis Toro Araya (1995) leaves such a good impression as the one perceived in the fifth concert of the current season of the Symphony Orchestra of the Region of Murcia (ÖSRM) in which he has starred as a guest conductor. His understanding and adaptation to the harmonic, melodic and expressive fits that are proposed in each of the twelve small pieces of this composition meant a whole display of technical faculties that demonstrated the versatility of this performer from a well-carved experience, among others, with masters of the stature of Zubin Mehta, Susanna Mälkki or Gustavo Dudamel who, From their different imprint, they have had a great influence on the personality of this Chilean maestro, diversifying in him a series of skills that were reaffirmed throughout the concert.First of all, we must highlight his attention to detail of the notation and consequent reading. This was manifested at all times in the varied orchestral rehearsal represented by these variations of Ginastera. Also the sensitive and natural knowledge of how the composer's musical voice should sound, based in this case on airs and rhythms of folkloric roots materialized with a modern instrumental treatment, a character that he confirmed in a resounding way in the Malambo with which he concludes the set of these variations. Continuing with his abilities, his technical prowess was decisive, driven by a very careful kinetics without the slightest motor exaggeration, an essential imprint to communicate an expressiveness that he anticipated in each measure, achieving that adequate correlation between gesture and sound, which allowed that breath of perceptual serenity to emerge that always requires an execution, even if it is of a lively and accelerated passage. All this baggage Luis Toro deployed in the varied composition, allowing the soloists involved in each variation to show off their best qualities such as those already shown by the harp and cello in the presentation of the theme. In the same way, all of them must be valued, highlighting the fifth for viola, the eighth for violin and the eleventh for double bass, as far as strings are concerned, which, as a whole, confirmed an excellent response in the first interlude.

    • Codalario
    • 23 January 2025

• Wagner, Lebrun & Schumann

  Staatsorchester Braunschweig

  May 2023

  • "Araya proved to be a young expert who kept the threads of the musical fabric in his hands in a relaxed manner, but let the musicians do most of the work. It seemed more like the conducting of a wise old master than that of a 27-year-old substitute."

    • Von Relnald Hanke
    • 05 May 2023

• International Conducting Competition

  De Doelen, Rotterdam

  Jun 2022

  • "Luis Toro Araya (27) from Chile opened the second half with a second reading of Mahler 4. He immediately found the many different colours so vital to any successful interpretation of this work. Changes in speed worked well and made perfect musical sense. A thread was spun. Silky and seductive sounds from the violins led us to a stillness, a calmness, in complete contrast to the previous madness. The horns had great fun with their turns as did the whole orchestra. Araya found the swirling rise and fall, and the searing clarinets and oboes were jubilant. The orchestra was unleashed. This was a polished and assured interpretation with a real sense of emotional depth, stillness, peace and calm. The whole auditorium was in the palm of his hands, hanging on every beat."

    • The Spidy Editor
    • 12 June 2022