About Anyango

BORN AND RAISED IN MUNICH, GERMANY, violinist Anyango Yarbo-Davenport was born into the musical family of American soprano Africa Yarbo-Davenport and the late Austrian conductor Hans Peter Jillich. She performs regularly in notable venues such as Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Royal Festival Hall London, Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo, Mozarteum Saal Salzburg and can be heard on international TV and Radio stations like Red+, BBC, FOX26, WXXI, PBS and NPR. 2019 and 2023 Anyango was the Schwartz Artist in Residence at Emory University, the only artist in history to hold this honor twice. She also holds recurring residencies at University of Richmond, James Madison University and Rutgers University. 2024 season highlights include guest soloist and concertmaster at THE MET in the Live Arts production of Handel: Made in America, soloist in residence with the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra Sacramento 2022–24 and Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with Petersburg Symphony Orchestra. 2024/25 she will be performing the iconic violin concertos by Beethoven, Brahms, Marsalis and Price throughout USA, Latin America and Europe. Anyango’s debut recording AMERICANA! (Sheva Collection UK, 2022) was released to great critical acclaim and features a collection of contemporary American music by composers Robert Aldridge (world premiere recording), Jennifer Higdon and John Corigliano with pianist Vanessa Fadial (The Colburn School Los Angeles). Pulitzer Prize laureate Higdon described it as a “spectacular and riveting recording of my work" and Grammy winner Aldridge writing “Anyango is a new kind of concert violinist: One who can master the classical western repertoire, but then can venture into new styles and genres without fear and with expert understanding of folk, jazz (…) She is a remarkable musician.” Anyango recorded her second CD Invisible Threads (Discos Javerianos, 2025) with duo partner pianist Jinson Kim encompassing works by Price, Bartok, Takemitsu and a world premiere recording of a colombian work by J.A. Cuellar. Invisible Threads was awarded the prestigious research prize by Banco Santander and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Bogotá and is to be released March 2025 with generous support by the Banco de la Republica de Colombia international concert series. Anyango’s newly founded artist collective Davenport Chamber Players brings together a diverse spectrum of musicians, visual and scenic artists for societally and educationally progressive interdisciplinary productions. The ensemble’s debut performance took place February 2024 at THE MET as part of THE MET Live Arts and will embark on their second international tour Spring 2025. Since 2017 Anyango is the appointed soloist and conductor of the Colour of Music Festival Virtuosi, a chamber orchestra of African ancestry. Under her leadership the ensemble has presented widely celebrated and sold-out events at The City University of New York, UC Davis, The Riviera Theatre Charleston and others. Anyango pursued her Doctoral degree at the Eastman School of Music (New York) where she was awarded the coveted Performers’ Certificate and served as teaching assistant to her mentor, Charles Castleman. She received her early training at the Musik Hochschule Munich (Germany), the University “Mozarteum” Salzburg (Austria) with additional studies at the Sibelius Academy Helsinki (Finland) with Paivyt Meller. Anyango is professor and coordinator of violin and chamber music at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Bogota (Colombia). A dedicated teacher, Anyango was awarded the Jack L. Frank Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her students win top prizes in international competitions, hold leading orchestra positions in the Americas and Europe, and win scholarships to attend the top universities of Germany, France, Italy, Austria and USA. Anyango performs on an 18th Century French violin, chooses from bows ranging from the Peccatte School to contemporary makers and is an Olitarte Artist.