THIBODAUX – Christiano Rodrigues, a senior violin major from João Pessoa, Brazil – and soon to be the first graduate of the four-year-old string program at Nicholls State University – will perform a concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 15, in Talbot Hall Theater. The concert is free and open to the public.
Assisted by Dr. Luciana Soares, associate professor of music, Rodrigues will perform Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto in D”, Sarasate’s “Carmen Fantasy” and Brahms’ “Sonata in A Major.”
Rodrigues began playing violin at the age of 4. At 15 he debuted as a soloist with the Bahia Symphony Orchestra, and he has since been an active soloist and chamber musician. He has won various awards during his time at Nicholls, including third prize in the Music Teachers National Association competition last year. James Alexander, head of the string department at Nicholls, recruited Rodrigues to Nicholls during a master-class program in Brazil.
The senior has already been accepted into two graduate programs with scholarships – the Cleveland Institute of Music, in the class of Paul Kantor, and DePaul University, under Ilya Kaler, both leading pedagogues in their field.
“We are very proud of Christiano’s accomplishments at Nicholls, and we anticipate great things for him as he moves on.” Alexander said. “This is exactly the sort of success that we hope to foster in the Nicholls string program.”
For additional information about the Nicholls Department of Music, go to www.nicholls.edu/perform/.
