Originally from Mexico City, he is one of the most renowned Mexican conductors, with a career that spans a wide range of musical and cultural activities, including opera, symphonic music, chamber music, film scores, cultural promotion and music production. He was Assistant Music Director at Ópera de Bellas Artes from 1997 to 2001 and General Director from 2007 to 2009. He has conducted numerous opera and ballet productions, including Macbeth, Carmen, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet and Raymonda at Palacio de Bellas Artes.

He has conducted numerous world opera premieres, notably the definitive version of The Visitors by Carlos Chávez, presented in 1999; the world premiere of Séneca by Marcela Rodríguez in 2004; and En susurros los muertos by Gualtiero Dazzi the following year, in 2005. The first two received their world premiere recordings under his direction. 

Since 2005, he has served as Associate Conductor of Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería and has been a guest conductor with Mexico’s leading orchestras. He has also conducted in Germany, Switzerland, France and the United States. Soloists such as Philippe Quint, Sarah Chang, Giora Feidman and Jorge Federico Osorio have performed under his baton, as have internationally acclaimed singers including Ramón Vargas, Rolando Villazón, Fernando de la Mora, Genaro Sulvarán, Jorge Lagunes, María Katzarava, Lourdes Ambriz, Encarnación Vázquez, Irasema Terrazas and Janice Baird, among others.

In 2010, Areán conducted the world premiere of Únicamente la Verdad, the acclaimed opera by Gabriela Ortiz, in its definitive version.