discovery concert
Nathan Amaral, violin
Alice Chenyang Xu, piano
Preview the printed program here.
“One of the rare musicians who not only possesses the gift of ample technical ability but uses it to transcend technique, getting to the heart and soul of musical expression… he draws his audiences in with a great range of color and emotion.” — Yo-Yo Ma.
Program (subject to change):
Heitor Villa-Lobos : Élégie
Francisco Mignone : Valsa de esquina No. 2 for violin and piano
Claude Debussy : Violin Sonata
César Franck : Sonata for violin and piano in A major
Nathan Amaral, violin
Recently awarded the Grand Prize of both the Concert Artist Guild (CAG) and Young Concert Artist Trust (YCAT) competitions, Nathan Amaral, the first prize winner of the 2024 Sphinx Competition, has earned a reputation for being "One of the rare musicians who not only possesses the gift of ample technical ability but uses it to transcend technique, getting to the heart and soul of musical expression… he draws his audiences in with a great range of color and emotion.” — Yo-Yo Ma.
First prize winner of the 27th Sphinx Competition, Brazilian violinist Nathan Amaral has earned a reputation in South America, USA and Europe for being a "versatile, charismatic violinist with a natural musical understanding" (Liza Ferschtman).
A 2024 Classic FM ‘Rising Star’, Nathan has performed as a soloist and chamber musician at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Konzerthaus Dortmund, KKL at Lucerne Festival, Mozarteum Großer Saal and Berliner Philharmonie, with orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chineke!, Philharmonia Orchestra, Jenaer Philharmonic, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal College of Music Symphony at the Aldeburgh Festival. Nathan has also been invited to perform with the Krzyzowa Music Festival, Yellow Barn in Vermont, Open Chamber Music (IMS Prussia Cove) and Kaleidoscope Collective.
Highlights this season include his debut at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, a return to Wigmore Hall and recitals presented by the San Francisco Symphony and Schubert Club, as well as his debut at Bendigo Music Festival in Australia.
In 2021 Nathan founded his own festival ‘Week of Musical Integration’ (Festival SIM) to support and teach young musicians from difficult backgrounds in Brazil. With the belief that music should be accessible to everyone regardless of background, alongside his performing career, Nathan’s personal mission is to establish an institution for underprivileged music students and people of color in his hometown.
Nathan is a Thomastik-Infeld Artist and Coregami Ambassador.
ABOUT NATHAN AMARAL
Alice Chenyang Xu
Hailed by The Boston Musical Intelligencer as “incisive and with innate musicality,” pianist Alice Chenyang Xu brings a thoughtful and evocative approach to her performances. She has captivated audiences as a soloist and chamber musician with appearances across the United States, Canada, Italy, Germany, and China, spanning solo recitals, concerto performances, and chamber music engagements. Highlights include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Chicago Symphony Hall, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago Auditorium Theatre, Corbett Auditorium in Cincinnati, Boston Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall in Boston, Leipzig Hochschule Musik Hall, and Chiesa dell’Addolorata in Piedmont, among others, showcasing her versatility and dynamic musicianship across diverse settings.
Making frequent appearances in international festivals, Alice has performed at Yellow Barn, Annapolis Chamber Music Festival, Internationale Mendelssohn-Akademie, and Art of Piano. She has collaborated with musicians such as the Borromeo String Quartet, members of the Cleveland Quartet and Doric Quartet, violinist Anthony Marwood, soprano Lucy Shelton, and baritone William Sharp. She has also worked closely with composers including George Crumb, Jörg Widmann, Shulamit Ran, Helen Grime, and Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, and performed for former Secretary of State Colin Powell under the auspices of the Eisenhower Fellowships. Alice was the recipient of awards including the NEC Honors Ensemble Program Award, the Borromeo Guest Artist Award, and top prizes at the Southern Missouri International Piano Competition and SEILER International Piano Competition in Germany.
Alice holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music, Roosevelt University, and New England Conservatory, where she was a recipient of the Dorothy Hinton Congleton Memorial Presidential Scholarship. Her principal teachers include Seymour Lipkin, Meng-Chieh Liu, Winston Choi, Wha-Kyung Byun, and Vivian Weilerstein, with additional studies under Hung-Kuan Chen, Gary Graffman, and Russell Sherman. A passionate educator, Alice has been teaching since 2006 and has held positions at music schools and festivals in Chicago, Boston, Italy, and China. Currently, she serves on the piano faculty at Tufts University and New England Conservatory Pre-College Program.