Born in Havana, Cuba, Amaya Fuentes Sarría graduated in viola performance from the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) where she studied with the violist Roberto Herrera. She received second prize in Cuba’s National String Instrument Performance Competition, recognized for her talent and musical sensitivity. Her career reflects a strong dedication to artistic excellence and the education of new generations of musicians.

Amaya is a founding member of the Havana Quartet, with whomshe has performed at major festivals in Cuba such as the Festival of Contemporary Music, La Ruta de Mozart, Mozart Habana, Habana Clásica, and the Habaneras Festival for Havana’s 500th anniversary.

Amaya has performed with the Havana Chamber Orchestra at national and international festivals alongside renowned artists like Leo Brouwer, Iván Lins, Joshua Bell, Dave Matthews, Henning Kraggerud, Fito Páez, and Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Her performances have included appearances at the Lincoln Center in New York and the Napa Valley Festival. She was also a member of the Havana Lyceum Orchestra  under distinguished conductors including Ronald Zollman, Jorge Rotter, Thomas Hengelbrock, and José Antonio Méndez. She has played in world-renowned venues such as the Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.), KonzerthausBerlin, Berliner Philharmonie, and Mozarteum (Salzburg), sharing the stage with celebrated musicians including Chloé Kiffer and Sarah Willis.

Amaya’s academic training includes advanced studies with Rolando Prusak, María Vodina, Mauricio Fuks, Yuval Gotlibovich, Igor Karsko, Walter Reiter, Pablo de Pedro, Rictor Noren and Paul Laraia. She completed the Continuing Education Program in Classical and Contemporary Music at ESMUC (Barcelona) and studied historically informed performance through the CuE project.

Since moving to the United States in 2023, she has continued performing with the Havana Quartet at the Harvard Music Festival, Apple Hill Chamber Music Festival, and International Music Day at Minnesota Orchestra Hall (with support from CAYO). She has also collaborated with the Minnesota Saints Chorale & Orchestra.

As part of her commitment to music education, Amaya has worked with the quartet in various schools around the Twin Cities, introducing chamber music and Cuban cultural traditions to young students across the U.S. In addition to her work in community education, she has taken part in the Havana Quartet’s recent artistic achievements, including their selection as Project Amplify Artists-in-Residence at MacPhail Center for Music (2025) . She also serves as a viola and violin instructor with the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS), contributing actively to the musical growth of young students in Minnesota.

Currently, Amaya is a faculty member at Laurel School of Music (formerly St. Joseph’s School of Music) and teaches violin and viola in the GTCYS Harmony Program.