Violinist Samuel Vargas LIVE in Recital

WORLD-RENOWNED VIOLINIST SAMUEL VARGAS IN RECITAL AT ST. ANN’S CHURCH IN BROOKLYN 

Pianist Austin Philemon joins the recital celebrating Latin composers in the intimate St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Sanctuary in Brooklyn Heights. 

September 30, 2023, 7:00 p.m. 

St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church 

157 Montague Street, Brooklyn, NY 

TICKETS: https://buytickets.at/brooklynchamberorchestra/921499 

Violinist Samuel Vargas Teixeira has received wide recognition for his powerful artistry and awards including First Prize of the Sphinx Competition (2021), Yamaha Young Performing Artist (2019), Grand Prize of the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (2019), First Prize in Atlanta’s GA Philharmonic Competition (2017), and Concertmaster Ambassador of the United Nations (2014).

Vargas holds the Pin Artistic Merits from “City Key of Prince George” and “Central Bank in Canada,” and has performed on tours in 40 countries, collaborating with acclaimed artists like Gustavo Dudamel, Simon Rattle, Daniel Barenboim, Claudio Abbado, and Christian Vasquez. Vargas began his violinistic journey through Venezuela’s El Sistema Program. In 2017 Samuel won the prestigious Woodruff Award enabling him to study with his current mentor and professor Sergiu Schwartz at the Schwob School of Music at CSU.

Austin Philemon is an organist, conductor, and composer based in New York City. He has had the opportunity to perform solo recitals domestically including at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, St. Paul’s Chapel at Trinity Wall Street, and the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Times Square, as well as abroad in Paris, France; Graz, Austria; Romainmôtier, Switzerland; Haarlem, Netherlands; Modena, Italy, and Höganäs, Sweden. He was selected as a finalist in several major improvisation competitions including the National Competition in Organ Improvisation and the University of Michigan Organ Improvisation Competition, and also received first prize in the George R. Mathison Memorial Competition.

Always an advocate for new music, as a composer of both traditional and electro-acoustic works Austin collaborates frequently with experimental artists. His most recent work, Curiouser and Curiouser for ensemble and live motion-tracking electronics was performed by Infrasound at the LGTBQ Center in New York City. Austin has also worked with composers on the premieres of more than 20 new works for organ.

Austin graduated with the Master of Music degree in Organ Performance from the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Dr. Andrew Henderson. He graduated summa cum laude as a Levine Scholar from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he double-majored in German and Organ Performance, helping to found the university’s organ program with his teacher, Dr. Jacqueline Yost. Austin currently serves as Director of Music & Media at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, and was recently appointed Assistant Conductor of the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra.