Today Was My First Viola Lesson

Dr. Rafael Ramirez Viola/Mandolin Rafael Ramirez was born in Caracas, Venezuela, where he began musical studies through the El Sistema music program in 1992. After immigrating to the United States, he studied at the New World School for the Arts with Richard Fleishman, as well as at the Florida International and University of Miami. As a performer, Ramirez has performed with the New World Symphony Orchestra, Symphony of the Americas, Frost Symphony, numerous other orchestras in South Florida, and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra. Ramirez is currently a member of The Palm Beach Pops, Miami Liryc Opera Orchestra, Craig Turley Orchestra and the South Beach Chamber Ensemble. Active as a teacher as well as performer, Ramirez is a Teaching Artist at Florida Youth Orchestra and faculty at Greater Miami Youth Symphony. Mr. Ramirez received his Doctorate in Musical Arts at the University of Miami in 2013. Engagements have included appearances as a soloist with the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Táchira State, Venezuela, Simon Bolivar Orchestra, Camerata San Cristobal, Collegium Musicum-FIU Miami, Miami Bach Society Orchestra, Hampden-Sydney Music Festival, Bowdoin Music Festival, Pine Mountain Festival, Broward Symphony, Epiphany Church concert Series, Mexico tour with the 104 String Quartet. His honors include two times winner at the Mandolin Festival, Capacho, Venezuela, First Prize winner of the chamber music competition at Florida International University (2006 and 2007), scholarship with the Slava Bogu String Quartet, Colombia. Mr. Ramirez has participated in master classes with Zvi Zeitlin, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Marc Johnson, Roberto Diaz, Lewis Kaplan, Toby Appel, Erick Shumsky, nokuthula ngwenyama, Rovert Vernon and the Vermeer, Shanghai, Ying, Bergonzi and Miami String Quartets.