Hugo Ariëns (1996) is a guitarist, improviser, and composer based in Den Haag. He has a deep fascination for sound which stems from his continuous obsession with the sonic properties of his instrument, the guitar. This led him to explore extended uses of the instrument, and brought him to the prepared guitar. His innovative use of found objects not only expands the sonic palette of the guitar but also challenges traditional notions of playing technique and performance.
Currently, Hugo is a research associate at the Institute of Sonology at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, where he focusses on further developing the prepared guitar. His research includes the Object Guitar Archive, an online work-in-progress archive documenting and facilitating the prepared guitar practice.In addition to his research, Hugo is also a member of the Dutch soft punk group De Zweefclub and has collaborated extensively with the Iris van Peppen Dance Company, guitarist Wiek Hijmans, and the improvisation collective BUI.