Christmas in Golden Valley

Born in Minnesota and raised in Duluth, Jon Poupore started on the viola at age 17. Jon found a good environment to pursue his love of the instrument at St. John’s University, Minnesota. While continuing his studies on the east coast, Jon also started a lifelong free-lance career in Baltimore, Maryland. This career led him to Maine, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and then back home to Duluth in 2018. Jon makes his first debut with the Golden Valley Orchestra and has been the orchestra’s principal violist over 3 years. He last performed the Bruch Romance with an orchestra 30 years ago. Always an active recitalist, Jon recently began a weekly recital series at the Jones-Harrison Senior Center last November – held every Tuesday at 2 PM. When Jon is not playing the viola, he is spending time with his loving and supportive husband of 23 year or pursuing his other passions; running, reading, movies/tv, chamber music and mechanical pianos.

Born and raised in Costa Rica, Aria Carrillo Silliezar's musical training started early due to being raised in a very musical family. Starting on the violin at the age of four under her mother's instruction, Aria's love of music was also shaped by her father, a choral conductor and professor at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. Aria is also an active performer, giving solo and chamber recitals in Costa Rica, Italy, El Salvador, Peru, Panama, Nicaragua, and across the United States.

Aria holds an undergraduate degree in violin performance and a double master’s degree in orchestral conducting and violin performance from the University of Minnesota, under the tutelage of Sally O’Reilly and Mark Russell Smith. Aria is currently a doctoral candidate at the same institution. She is also the Music Director for the Buffalo Community Orchestra and is a tenured violinist with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra. When Aria is not busy conducting or playing her violin she enjoys cooking, playing chess, visiting the local drag scene, hiking and enjoying the many lakes found across the Midwest.