Recently awarded the Grand Prize of both the Concert Artist Guild (CAG) and Young Concert Artist Trust (YCAT) competitions, resulting in management on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, Nathan Amaral, the first prize winner of the 2024 Sphinx Competition, has earned a reputation for being a “versatile, charismatic violinist with a natural musical understanding.” (Liza Ferschtman) Having performed as a soloist and chamber musician at venues such as Wigmore Hall, KKL at Lucerne Festival, Mozarteum Großer Saal, and Berliner Philharmonie, Nathan has been awarded first 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.

Nathan’s recent engagements include his debut as soloist 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!, and chamber music performances at Wigmore Hall and Konzerthaus Dortmund with the renowned violinist Hilary Hahn. Nathan has performed with orchestras such as Jenaer Philharmonic, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, OSESP (São Paulo State Symphony), Ilumina Chamber, and been invited to the Krzyzowa Music Festival, Yellow Barn in Vermont, Open Chamber Music (IMS Pussia Cove), and Kaleidoscope Collective.

With the belief that music should be accessible to everyone regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or financial class, together with his performing career, Nathan’s personal mission is to establish an institution for underprivileged music students and people of color in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro. Nathan is a graduate of the New England Conservatory on full scholarship under the guidance of Donald Weilerstein and has been appointed a Thomastik Infeld Artist.

Described by The Boston Musical Intelligencer as “incisive and with innate musicality,” pianist Alice Chenyang Xu has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Italy, Germany, USA, Canada, and throughout China. Notable concerts include solo performances and recitals at Chicago Symphony Hall, the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series at the Chicago Cultural Center, Corbett Auditorium in Cincinnati, Hochschule Musik Hall in Leipzig, Germany, and Jordan Hall in Boston; concerto performances in Chicago Auditorium Theatre, JIAOZI Concert Hall, and Chengdu Concert Hall in China; and chamber music performances at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Dorflinger Glass Museum, Lincoln Center, and Boston Symphony Hall.

Xu has appeared in various summer music festival around the world including Yellowbarn, Internationale Mendelssohn-Akademie, Art of Piano, and Morningside Music Bridge and has collaborated with Borromeo String Quartet and members of the Cleveland Quartet, violinist Anthony Marwood, cellists John Myerscough and Bonnie Hampton, soprano Lucy Shelton, baritone William Sharp, pianist Christina Dahl and the Chicago Chamber Musicians (CCM). Xu has worked directly with composers 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.

Xu graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music and Roosevelt University and holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from New England Conservatory of Music. Xu oversees Piano for Non-Majors class at New England Conservatory and she serves on the piano faculty of Tufts University.