Brazilian violinist Nathan Amaral was the first prize winner of the 2024 Sphinx Competition, subsequently winning the Grand Prize of both the Concert Artist Guild (CAG) and Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) competitions. Nathan 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.
Nominated as a Classic FM ‘Rising Star’ in 2024, Nathan recently performed to a sold-out audience at Royal Albert Hall as soloist with the Philharmonia Orchestra as part of Classic FM Live.
On the concerto platform, he has also performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Brevard Music Festival Orchestra, Royal College of Music Symphony at the Aldeburgh Festival, Jenaer Philharmonic, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, and with the Chineke! Orchestra at London’s Southbank Centre and on tour – a project which was recorded by Decca. He has worked with various prominent conductors including JoAnn Falletta and Kirill Karabits.
Upcoming engagements for Nathan in the 2025/26 season include a UK recital tour with a performance at Wigmore Hall; recitals presented by the San Francisco Symphony, Schubert Club, and Capital Region Classical; concertos with the Reno Philharmonic, Evanston Symphony, Roswell Symphony, and Vista Philharmonic; and debuts at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Bendigo Festival in Australia.
Nathan has previously appeared as a soloist and chamber musician at venues including Queen Elizabeth Hall, KKL at Lucerne Festival, Mozarteum Großer Saal, Berliner Philharmonie and Konzerthaus Dortmund, and has also been invited to perform with the Krzyzowa Music Festival, Yellow Barn in Vermont, Open Chamber Music (IMS Prussia Cove) and the Kaleidoscope Collective. Among his past chamber music partners are Tabea Zimmerman, Hilary Hahn, Donald Weilerstein, Paul Lewis, Viviane Hagner, Yura Lee, Julian Steckel, Eckart Runge, Anthony Marwood and Carolin Widmann.
A prolific prize winner, Nathan has been awarded 1st and special prizes in numerous national and international 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 (the most significant prize for young musicians in Brazil) and the Ruggiero Ricci Violin Competition.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Nathan received his first violin lessons at the age of twelve as part of a social project in the favela of Mangueira. The project was intended as a recreational initiative to take children out of the streets due to the high risk of criminality and drug abuse. In a class of 200 students Nathan was the only one to pursue music. To give back to his community, in 2021, Nathan founded his own festival ‘Week of Musical Integration’ (Festival SIM) to support and teach young musicians from difficult backgrounds in Brazil. His initiative has gained visibility and interest on major TV channels in Brazil, including a life documentary. With the belief that music should be accessible to everyone regardless of background, and 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 graduate of the New England Conservatory on full scholarship under the guidance of Donald Weilerstein, having also previously studied at the Salzburg Mozarteum.
Nathan is a Thomastik-Infeld Artist and Coregami Ambassador.
