Nathan Amaral, violin Mont Pleasant Middle School
Performers
Location
About
Thursday, March 12, 2026 - 7:30 PM
This young Brazilian violinist has already performed as soloist with the Boston Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra and won first prize at the 2024 Sphinx Competition. We feature our Horizons Young Artist in a free concert of solo violin works for all to enjoy.
- Bosísio: Aboio e Dança Negra
- Ysaÿe: E-minor Sonata, Op. 27, No. 4
- Bach: D-minor Partita, BWV 1004
Runtime: 2 hours
Mont Pleasant Middle School
1121 Forest Road
Schenectady, NY
General Admission seating—doors open 45 minutes before concert.
All kids and college students admitted free at door.
Recently awarded the Grand Prize of both the Concert Artist Guild (CAG) and Young Concert Artist Trust (YCAT) competitions, Nathan Amaral has earned a reputation as a "versatile, charismatic violinist with a natural musical understanding." He has performed at venues such as Wigmore Hall, KKL at Lucerne Festival, Mozarteum Großer Saal, and Berliner Philharmonie, and has won first and special prizes in competitions including the Paul Roczek Award at Mozarteum University Salzburg, Wiener Klassik Preis in Vienna, CIMA International Competition, Waslau Borkowski Violin Competition, the Eleazar de Carvalho Competition, and the Ruggiero Ricci Violin Competition.
Nathan’s recent engagements include his debut as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra and with the Chineke! Orchestra at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London’s Southbank Centre and on tour, as well as his Decca debut album recording with Chineke!. He has performed with orchestras such as Jenaer Philharmonic, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, OSESP (São Paulo State Symphony), and Ilumina Chamber, and has appeared at festivals and programs including the Krzyzowa Music Festival, Yellow Barn, Open Chamber Music (IMS Pussia Cove), and Kaleidoscope Collective.
His past chamber music partners include Tabea Zimmermann, Hilary Hahn, Donald Weilerstein, Paul Lewis, Viviane Hagner, Yura Lee, Julian Steckel, Eckart Runge, Anthony Marwood, and Carolin Widmann. He has attended masterclasses with Pinchas Zukerman, Midori Goto, Ferenc Rados, Miriam Fried, Gerhard Schulz, and Christoph Poppen.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Nathan received his first violin lessons at age twelve as part of a social project in the favela of Mangueira. In 2021 he founded the Week of Musical Integration to support and teach young musicians from difficult backgrounds in Brazil; his initiative has gained media attention in Brazil, including a documentary about his life.
Nathan’s stated mission is to make music accessible to everyone regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or financial class, and to establish an institution for underprivileged music students and people of color in his hometown. He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory on full scholarship under Donald Weilerstein and has been appointed a Thomastik Infeld Artist.