Cellist Titilayo Ayangade has spent over two decades behind her instrument, performing in orchestras, chamber ensembles, and commissioning new music. She holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati-CCM and the University of Texas at Austin, and has also worked closely with members of the Artemis Quartet at the Queen Elisabeth Chapel in Belgium. Since exiting her role as cellist of the acclaimed Thalea String Quartet, in which she established an international presence as a star chamber musician, Titilayo has expanded her reach, becoming a Strathmore Artist-in-Residence, appearing on stage in Broadway’s Hadestown, at the Kennedy Center with the Black Radio Orchestra, at the Park Avenue Armory with Alarm Will Sound, with the American Modern Opera Company (AMOC), and on the faculty of San Antonio’s Classical Music Institute.
During her five-year tenure with the TSQ, Titilayo received numerous accolades, including top prizes at the Fischoff and Chamber Music Yellow Spring international competitions, as well as artist residencies at the Caramoor Center for the Arts, Britten-Pears Arts, and the Universities of Texas and Maryland. She has also collaborated with many award-winning artists, including Julia Bullock, Isabel Charisius, Lawrence Power, Seth Parker Woods, Yo-Yo Ma, Christian Reif, Curtis Stewart, Robert DeMaine, James Austin Smith, and Sibbi Bernhardson. Her strongest advocates and mentors include cellists Ilya Finkelshteyn, Joshua Gindele, and Eric Kutz, as well as members of The Left Bank Quartet, Miro Quartet, Emerson Quartet, Artemis Quartet, and Ariel Quartet.
Titilayo has had the privilege of touring in China, Brazil, Canada, Belgium, the UK and many cities in North America. This seasons highlights include the world premier a work for solo cello and dancer by Akshaya Avril-Tucker, a performance with duo kayo at Lincoln Center in collaboration with a living statue artist, serving as a faculty teaching artist at the Kolob Canyon Festival and as an artist-in-residence at Newport Classical.
Titilayo particularly enjoys her collaborations with other artists from the greater African and African-American diaspora. She is a vocal advocate for the work of BIPOC musicians and is passionate about being a contributing part of a fully inclusive, ever-outreaching musical community. When not playing the cello, Titi runs a successful photography business and has had the fortune to work with clients such as the New York Youth Symphony, the Colburn School, Lakes Area Music Festival, members of the San Francisco Symphony, and other Grammy-nominated artists. Visit her website at www.titilayoandco.com for more information.
