Internationally renowned harpist, María Luisa Rayan has performed to critical acclaim in the USA, Europe, Latin America, China, Japan, Korea, Russia and Australia.
Described by the New York Concert Review as “Clearly an extremely talented, accomplished, experienced performer who can keep an audience listening with rapt attention”, Ms. Rayan has been performing all over the globe for the past twenty years, bringing to audiences a sense of musicianship and poetry in her playing.
Since making her first international appearance at the age of eleven in a concert organized by UNICEF at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ms. Rayan has come to be recognized as one of today’s highly sought-after harpists as a recitalist, chamber musician, soloist with orchestra, teacher and arranger of music for the harp.
Ms. Rayan has performed in major venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall, Libby Gardner Hall, Geary Theatre, Chicago Cultural Center, Lyon & Healy Hall, Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam, National Concert Hall in Dublin, Royal Academy of Music in London, University of Adelaide, National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Seoul Arts Center in Korea, Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo in Bogotá.
Highlights of her chamber music performances include the University of Chicago Presents, Cartagena Music Festival, Chicago Chamber Musicians, Tanglewood Music Center and Brevard Music Festival. Her performances with orchestra include the Fort-Worth Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Teatro Colón Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos Symphony, Córdoba Symphony, Puerto Rico Symphony, Houston Symphony and other orchestras in the USA.
A consistent prizewinner at competitions internationally, Ms. Rayan was awarded the Silver Medal at the USA International Harp Competition in both 1998 and 2001.
Besides her busy concert schedule, Ms. Rayan has a strong passion for teaching. She has taught masterclasses at the Curtis Institute, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, National University in Bogotá, the Royal Academy of Music in London and Cardiff and Mariinsky Theatre. She is founder and artistic director of the Hong Kong Harpy Summer Academy, co-director of the Korea International Harp Competition and Festival, and co-director of the International Harp Academy in Argentina.
Ms. Rayan has been on the jury of numerous international harp competitions, including the USA International Harp Competition and Golden Harp Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Having performed most of the harp literature, Ms. Rayan’s keen interest in expanding the repertoire for the harp has taken her to research and transcribe music. Her publications include arrangements for solo harp of Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas, Serie del Angel and Libertango by Astor Piazzolla, Partitas BWV 825-827 by J.S. Bach, Sonata in F K332 and Fantasy K397 by W.A. Mozart, Prelude from Bachianas Brasileiras No.4 by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Gymnopedies and Gnosiennes by Erik Satie, Preludes by F. Chopin, Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy and Goldberg Variations for two harps by J.S. Bach.
Ms. Rayan has recorded two CDs, “Latin Fire” and “From Bach to Piazzolla.”