Round Top Festival Institute | Saturday November 21, 2020

The Rodrigues-Nguyen Duo will perform works for violin and piano by Johannes Brahms on stage in the Festival Concert Hall. The program will begin at 3:00 pm and end at 4:30 pm with no intermission. Repertoire is listed below.

Tickets: Adult $25. Student $10. All tickets must be purchased in advance online. No tickets will be sold over the phone as the office is closed during the pandemic. No tickets will be sold at the door. Due to COVID-related restrictions, a limited number of tickets is available. Buy your tickets early. Tickets are non-refundable. All sales final. For technical assistance with your online purchase, you may send an email to websupport@festivalhill.org.

Please print your confirmation email and bring it with you to the concert. Printed tickets will not be issued. Doors open one hour prior to the concert at 2 PM.

We want everyone to stay safe and healthy! We are following strict guidelines issued by the Fayette County Judge's Office and Emergency Management Coordinator. Please wear a mask and keep a social distance of at least six feet from others at all times. Sanitation stations will be available. Restrooms will be monitored and cleaned during the concert.

BIOGRAPHY

Christiano Rodrigues is an award-winning international artist whose multifaceted career has defined him as one of the most versatile artists of his generation.

In recent months, Rodrigues has been seen in performances in the Caribbean as a section leader and soloist with the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico; conducting performances of the Nicholls Camerata at Nicholls State University; performing chamber music as a violist with Charles Castleman and Dennis Parker at the Pelican Chamber Music Series in Louisiana; in recitals throughout the United States with the Rodrigues-Nguyen Duo; in the recording studio producing a new work for violin and piano by American composer Rodney Rogers; and leading international masterclasses on string technique from his home in Phoenix, Arizona.

Currently, Rodrigues serves as the concertmaster of MusicaNova Orchestra in Phoenix, Arizona. He was previously a Baroque violinist with the Mercury Chamber Orchestra, and a guest artist with the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, in Croatia.

Rodrigues prepares to debut as the Music Director of the MusicaNova Orchestra Chamber Players in a recording of Antonio Vivaldi's iconic "Le Quattro Stagioni," where he will be the soloist and conductor.

An avid chamber musician, Rodrigues frequently performs along side many of the world's leading artists including the St. Lawrence String Quartet; pianists James Dick, Bernadene Blaha, Caio Pagano, and Wendy Chen; violinists Regis Pasquier, Joan Kwuon, Stefan Milenkovich, and Charles Castleman; cellists Emilio Colón, Stephen Balderston, and Thomas Landschoot; and flutist Carol Wincenc, to name a few.

Together with American pianist Karen Nguyen, Rodrigues maintains a busy performing schedule throughout the year. The Rodrigues-Nguyen Duo manages a novel chamber music series in Scottsdale, Arizona, that has attracted and excited hundreds of new audience members within just one year of its inaugural concert. The Rodrigues-Nguyen Duo collaborates closely with music scholars and world class performing artists to create meaningful interpretations of the most compelling repertoire written for piano and violin.

Rodrigues is an accomplished academic who holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University, where he served as the teaching assistant to his mentor, Dr. Jonathan Swartz. Rodrigues' significant contribution to this institution earned him the distinct honor of being named Arizona State University's Outstanding Graduate in the year of 2019. Rodrigues also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Nicholls State University, where he studied with James Alexander, and a Master of Music degree from Rice University, where he was a student of Paul Kantor. Rodrigues has also studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he credits most of his knowledge and love for chamber music to the Cavani String Quartet and Peter Salaff.

A passionate pedagogue, Rodrigues has also garnered international acclaim for his teaching. He is frequently invited to teach masterclasses as a resident artist in colleges and music conservatories throughout North and Latin America. He is also a firm advocate of the ideals of diversity, equity, and equality within the arts, and devotes a significant amount of his time to the Harmony Project, a national music program that aims to offer children from underserved communities the access to high-quality music instruction.

Additionally, Rodrigues is most proud to celebrate a decade-long relationship with Round Top Festival Institute. He is an alumni from the 2010, 2012, and 2013 Festival Orchestras, and has been a member of the faculty since 2016. Rodrigues joins a large global music community in congratulating Round Top Festival Institute for its remarkable 50th year anniversary.

Rodrigues performs on a modern instrument made by Robert Clemens, and draws his sounds with a bow made by the Brazilian bow maker Pedro Lima, gifted to him by his first teacher, his aunt Ana Elizabeth.