MusicaNova Orchestra is pleased to announce that Julian Nguyen is stepping into the role of concertmaster this season.
“I’m excited about the season ahead and the opportunity to help lead the continued growth of this excellent orchestra,” Nguyen said. “The chance to play and share new music and music that is seldom played attracted me to MusicaNova in the first place.”
Nguyen, who has been a member of the first violin section since 2019, succeeds Christiano Rodrigues, who has taken a faculty position at Washington State University.
Nguyen, a Houston native, is working on his doctorate in musical arts at Arizona State University under the guidance of Dr. Jonathan Swartz. He earned his bachelor’s degree in violin performance at Rice University with Kenneth Goldsmith.
He performed with the Symphony of Southeast Texas as assistant principal second violin and was a substitute with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in New Orleans, as well as teaching privately in the Houston area before moving to Tempe.
In Arizona, he is works with Harmony Project Phoenix and the East Valley Youth Symphony as a guest teacher and leader of masterclasses and workshops, in addition to teaching privately. He strives to unlock the potential of all his students, much in the same way his teachers have for him, shaping them into thoughtful, well-rounded musicians who will be set up for success in today’s rapidly shifting classical music scene.
Additionally, Julian was one of four winners of the 2019-2020 ASU Concerto Competition, regularly serves as concertmaster for the ASU Symphony, has performed with his string quartet in masterclasses for Brooklyn Rider, The Brentano String Quartet, and The Borromeo String Quartet, and continues experimenting with creating aesthetically tailored compositions and performances designed to engage and excite new audiences.
