ABOUT

Anaís Azul (they/them) is a Peruvian-born, California-raised composer, charango player, vocalist, and educator whose work bridges ancestral roots and avant-garde experimentation. A Fulbright Scholar dubbed "the Peruvian Björk" (Bay Times), they hold a B.M. in Music Composition and Theory from Boston University, an MFA from CalArts, and are currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Digital Composition at UC Riverside. Their debut album Simp’ashani: Canciones Trenzadas (2024), created during their Fulbright research in Perú, weaves trilingual soundscapes (Quechua, English, Spanish)—from experimental Andean reinterpretations to intimate singer-songwriter meditations on migration, queerness, and resilience.

Classically trained yet fiercely experimental, Anaís’ compositions blend looped vocal harmonies, Latin American traditions, and Andean melodies. They’ve toured internationally with the choir Voices21C and as a solo artist (France, Germany, Perú, Mexico), and scored for theater and orchestra, including the award-winning Displaced: A Response to Qurban (Boston Conservatory at Berklee). They’ve premiered orchestral excerpts of their opera Chopping Onions as an Artist in Residence at Boston University and guest lectured at Occidental College, UC Riverside, and Northeastern University.

As a teaching artist, Anaís has served as Special Faculty at CalArts (music theory/pedagogy) and at Bloom Arts Foundation (K-6 music teaching). Their work—whether performing, teaching, or curating community art events (supported by grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, City of Boston, and others)—centers decolonization, Indigenous resistance, and music as a tool for collective healing. Press highlights include features in NPR, Remezcla, and WBUR.

In their spare time, Anaís thrifts vintage treasures and reads tarot for their loved ones.

For bookings, lessons, commissions, or full works list, contact them here.