Duo della Luna…

 “delightful, passionate… a dialogue, a duel at times… unintimidated…” – Libertà (Piacenza, Italy)

Susan Botti, voice/composer / Airi Yoshioka, violin

Duo della Luna (Susan Botti and Airi Yoshioka) performs eclectic contemporary chamber music in an unusual combination of voice and violin. The duo’s wide-ranging repertoire includes re-imagined existing works, newly commissioned works (including undiscovered voices), and diverse folk music arrangements.

As solo artists, Susan and Airi have devoted their musical careers to new music. After performing together in various chamber settings, Airi commissioned Susan to write a work for just voice and violin, resulting in Botti’s Mangetsu. Realizing that there was a special spark when the music was stripped down to just their two voices intertwined, and recognizing the vibrant synergy of this new artistic voice, they formed Duo della Luna to explore this unique and intimate musical world. The duo has performed in the US, Canada, and Italy, and released their debut album in 2021 (New Focus) to critical acclaim. It features contemporary works by Susan Botti, Kaija Saariaho, Linda Dusman, Botti’s arrangements of selected duos by Béla Bartók (originally for two violins), and arrangements of folksongs from Italy and the US.

The Duo is committed to expanding their repertoire through commissioning, and multiple commissions are underway through a grant they have received from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. After many positive receptions, Duo della Luna aims to bring this collection to a broader audience of listeners by traveling and performing in venues and festivals worldwide. Also committed educators, the duo has worked with many schools and community centers and seeks out additional opportunities to connect and work with these groups.