From Fairbanks, Alaska, Salvadoran-American cellist, Dr. Roberto Arundale (pronounced air-RUN-dale) is a highly sought-after performer, pedagogue, and recording artist. An avid soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player, Arundale has concertized throughout the United States and Europe collaborating with musicians spanning all musical genres including Edgar Meyer, the Indigo Girls, members of the Ying Quartet, and Amos Lee. Roberto has garnered awards and top prizes in competitions across the United States. Roberto made his solo debut at age 17 with the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra performing Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor under the baton of Eduard Zilberkant as the winner of the Fairbanks Concerto Competition.
At home as principal cellist, Arundale has led cello sections of many orchestras from Alaska to Maine including the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bowdoin Festival Orchestra, and the University of Colorado Boulder Symphony Orchestra. Roberto currently serves as the principal cellist of the High Country Sinfonia. A champion of new music, Roberto recently released Confluencia: Music of Latin America, an album featuring composers Gabriela Lena Frank, Mario Lavista, and José Bragato. Roberto’s performances have been broadcasted on public television and the radio. An educator in high demand, Roberto has taught cello performance majors and lectured as teaching assistant to David Requiro at the University of Colorado Boulder. Arundale completed Suzuki training for Units 1-10 with Melissa Kraut. Roberto served a year in Americorps’ program, ArtistYear, as a teaching artist at Sopris Elementary in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
Arundale holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Michigan, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a Doctorate from the University of Colorado Boulder. His teachers have included Peggy Swartz, Minna Rose Chung, Gilda Barston, Anthony Elliott, Stephen Geber, David Requiro, Amir Eldan, Steven Doane, and Melissa Kraut. Roberto performs on an exemplary cello made by American luthier James McKean.
Dr. Arundale currently resides in Basalt, Colorado in the Roaring Fork Valley teaching a talented studio of 39 students, ages 5 to 75, as well as serving as the chamber music instructor at the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork and at the Aspen Music Festival and School’s Beginning Strings and Chamber Music Lab programs. Roberto's students have attended the Aspen Music Festival & School, the Brevard Music Center, the Kinhaven Music School, Interlochen, as well as various others across the country.
In addition to music, Roberto enjoys going on daily 3-5 hour walks, reading, poker, studying and teaching chess.