BIOGRAPHY

Carlomagno Araya was born in San José, Costa Rica, where at a very young age began playing percussion. In his teens he started formal training in classical percussion and professionally performed drums in different styles such as Jazz, Pop, Rock, Classic and Latin.

Carlomagno attended the summer program of "Berklee College of Music" (1990-1991) and soon after he moved to Miami where he was awarded with several full scholarships to study music; granted by the "Miami Dade Community College South Campus" (1994 -1997) and the prestigious Jazz program at the “Frost School of Music" at the University of Miami (1997-2016).

Carlomagno's versatility has been his main characteristic. In his work as a recording musician, producer, performer  and conductor he has had the opportunity to work in projects of a very diverse nature and toured around the World with an extensive list of great artists, producers and prestigious musicians in the music industry such as Rubén Blades, Ilan Chester, Engelbert Humperdinck, Claudia Acuña, Tania Libertad, Alejandra Guzmán, Néstor Torres, Paquito D` Rivera, Víctor Mendoza, Roberto Perera, Willy Chirino, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Daniella Mercury, Boca Livre, Alejandro Lerner, Armando Manzanero, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Dudu Fisher, Toquiño, Federico Britos, Bebu Silvetti, Lokua Kanza, Yasmil Marrufo, Francisco Céspedes, Richard Bona, Ernie Watts, Randy Brecker, Ed Calle, Eddie Gómez, Boston Brass, Bob Mintzer, León Gieco, Gilberto Santa Rosa, José Luis Rodríguez “El puma” and many others.

Carlomagno has made an important pedagogical contribution by giving workshops and master classes sharing his musical knowledge and philosophies with music students in the United States, Mexico, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Las Vegas, and Costa Rica. I addition to keeping a busy schedule as a performer and producer, Carlomagno is currently professor at the "Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica" and the conductor of the “CCCN Jazz Orchestra” of the North American-Costa Rican Cultural Center. With this ensemble he won first place at the prestigious “Next Generation Jazz Competition 2019” in the category of “College Division Big Band” as the first international band to have made it to the finals and win the first place in the 49 years of the competition's existence.

Carlomagno`s work can be heard on albums that have won multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy awards as well as several nominations. In 2019 Carlomagno was awarded a recognition by Forbes Magazine as one of the 25 most creative personalities within the Central American region. In the same year the goverment of Costa Rica awarded him with the "Premio Nacional en Música Carlos Enrique Vargas; categoría en dirección musical" which is the most prestigious award an artist can get in his native country.