Founded in Mexico in 1999 by Janet Paulus and Mercedes Gómez, SONDOS dúo de arpas was created from the experiences of both harpists during their twenty continuous years of professional work as soloists, members of other duos and chamber ensembles, and as orchestral harpists in various countries.

Their decision to share in the delights of chamber music together stems from the richness of the different cultures which have marked them as human beings and as musicians.

Since it's founding, SONDOS embraces a vast repertoire which includes original music of all periods for two harps, duo transcriptions of works originally written for other instruments, and contemporary pieces from Latin America with a special interest in interdisciplinary adventures of all kinds.

In July 2000, SONDOS recorded “ALMÍBAR” (Urtext), it's first CD – a collection of XIX Century Mexican piano music transcribed by the duo. In 2002, it represented Mexico at the World Harp Congress in Geneva Switzerland with this repertoire.

From 2002 on, it has presented, with actresses Julieta Ortiz or Leticia Cavazos, !CUÁNTA CUERDA¡ Viaje por la historia del arpa. This educational recital is specially conceived to bring joy to children and has been presented in many Mexican cities.

In January and February of 2003, the duo premiered, with actress Aracelia Guerrero, “NIÑAS DE LA GUERRA, obra para dos arpistas y actriz” by the playwright and theater director Berta Hiriart. This interdisciplinary work included 20th Century compositions and was commissioned by the Festival “Música y Escena”, for young audiences.

On May 31 and June 1 of 2003 the duo performed the Mexican premiere of the Jean Francaix Concerto for Two Harps and Strings during the orchestral season of the UNAM Philharmonic.

In 2005 SONDOS received an invitation to give a masterclass at the University of Bloomington, Indiana. There it presented the material of it's new CD in progress: the pieces written for two harps by Mexican composer Armando Luna which are all dedicated to SONDOS, dúo de arpas.

In July of 2005 SONDOS represented Mexico at the World Harp Congress in Dublin, Ireland performing pieces for two harps by Mexican composer Armando Luna.

In July of 2006 SONDOS represented Mexico at the 37th National Conference of the American Harp Society in San Francisco, California; in the Museo Forte in Copacabana, the Museo da República in Rio de Janeiro and in the VI Latin American Harp Encounter in Vale do Café, Brazil.

In October of that same year they premiered a program of new works for two harps by composers Gerardo Dirié (Argentina), Pablo Ortiz (Argentina), José Enrique Guzmán (Mexico), Hywel Davies (Great Britain), Iván Ferrer (Mexico), Carlos Plaza (Venezuela), Armando Luna (Mexico) and Martín Zalba (Spain).

In October 2007 they received a grant from the program of Co-Inversions of the National Fund for Culture and the Arts (FONCA) to record their third CD of works by contemporary Latin American composers. The CD “ARPEO” came out in December of 2008 and was presented at the 2nd International Harp Festival in Mexico City in February of 2009.

In June of 2010 SONDOS will perform the world premiere of a Concerto for Two Harps by Mexican composer Armando Luna with Conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto and the National Symphony Orchestra in Mexico City.

Janet Paulus was born in New York City and began studying the harp there with Pearl Chertok. Later she studied at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and finally at the Cleveland Institute of Music where she finished her studies with Alice Chalifoux. As soon as she graduated she became the Principal Harpist of the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico and later of the Mexico City Philharmonic.

In 1983 Ms. Paulus returned to New York and began her musical career as soloist, member of various chamber groups and as orchestral harpist with the Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, Opera Orchestra of New York, Orchestra of St. Luke's and the Brooklyn Philharmonic.

From 1992 to 1997 she lived in San Sebastián Spain where she co-founded the harp duo GIOCCARPA with whom she recorded the CD “VENT DE TERRE, VENT DE MER”.

Ms. Paulus has been Professor of Harp at the Brooklyn College of Music, the Manhattan School of Music and at the Morelia Music Festival in Michoacán, Mexico. She is currently Harp Professor at the National Music School and the Superior School of Music in Mexico City.

She has participated in numerous orchestral recordings with the Metropolitan Opera, the San Francisco Symphony, the New York Philharmonic and the Orchestra of St. Luke's.

Currently Ms. Paulus resides in Mexico and is Principal Harpist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the UNAM, the Orchestra of the Theater of Fine Arts, and the Mineria Symphony Orchestra.

In February of 2009 she organized the 2nd International Harp Festival with the collaboration of the National & Superior Schools of Music in Mexico City.

Since 1999 Ms. Paulus is a member of the SONDOS, dúo de arpas with Mercedes Gómez, and since 2002 a member of the ENSAMBLE LUDERE with Francisco Ramírez (Flute) & Luis Magaña (Viola).

She was born in Mexico City in 1956 in a family that grew a lot. She remembers the smell of the hands of the teacher who taught her how to read and write. She read a lot of books under the blankets and with a lantern, in order not to wake up her sisters.

Another teacher sat her on the waste-basket after not raising her hand before talking. She was a shy girl twelve years. Then she discovered humor. At age seventeen she lost her mother, started her musical studies and read a lot of other books.

She finished her professional harp and musical studies in the National Conservatory of Mexico City and continued them in Spain and the USA. She has played solo, in chamber groups and with many orchestras in different countries.

She has recorded five compact discs: ZARPA AL AZAR (Urtext), GAUGUIN (Urtext), ALMÍBAR (Urtext), CARNAVAL (Urtext) and RAMAS (Quindecim). With Janet Paulus she formed SONDOS, DÚO DE ARPAS , a harp duet. She joined Francisco Hinojosa´s writing workshop “Héroes de Juchipilina”, where she learned how to write something else than shopping lists and letters.

Published works: ME LATE CACAHUATE - article about music for children in Mexican newspaper TIEMPO DE NIÑOS • CHILPACHOLE DE ARPA - bilingual method to play traditional Mexican music for harp. (Lyra Music, N.Y.) • ODONIR Y LOS RATONES - story for children about a nasty conductor who mistreats a tiny bass player and how the mice in the theater help the musician to stop the situation. Editorial Playco, Venezuela • DEMENTE CUERDA, movimientos de una mujer bien música, DEMAC.2002 Prize in autobiography competition “Women who dare to tell their story” • KOMOK, NOKEK Y LOS FLAMENCOS, Ediciones Castillo, México, • EL IDIOMA DE CARLINA, Editorial Junco, México. Story of a deaf girl who goes to a school where everyone hears except her.

She has participated in interdisciplinary projects with theater: • 47 TRIPAS, Concierto para arpa y actriz with Julieta Ortiz (actress) and Alberto Lomnitz (director) • EN SÍ NATURAL, ilusión óptica para actriz acompañanda, with Julieta Ortiz (actress) and Luis Martín Solis (director) • “!CUÁNTA CUERDA¡ Viaje por la historia del arpa” with Janet Paulus-harp, Julieta Ortiz-actress. Original script written by Mercedes to guide children through the history of harp music in an imaginary plane trip • • NIÑAS DE LA GUERRA , by Berta Hiriart, with Aracelia Guerrero (actress), Janet Paulus (harp) and Berta Hiriart (director).

She has written and presented: DE LA OREJA AL CORAZÓN, play for musicians, puppets and actors, presented at the Festival de Música y Escena in 2006 and continued season in 2007 at the Teatro Orientación, Centro Cultural del Bosque, Mexico City.

She plays with Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM, teaches at the National Conservatory of Mexico. She reads before and after concerts and writes while soaking beans or when everyone else is sleeping. She has four daugthers born in three births: a long one, a short one and a double one. She loves to swim and to cook, but not at the same time.