Luis Fernandez
Assistant Professor
SA-211
Music
Luis Fernandez, violinist, teacher, chamber musician, concertmaster, and conductor, was born in Caracas, Venezuela, where he began violin studies through the El Sistema music program and the Latin-American Violin Academy.
After immigrating to the United States, he earned his Master of Music degree at the University of Florida, where he served as first violin of the Nuevo Mundo quartet-in-residence. The quartet opened the Hot Springs Summer Music Festival to critical acclaim, and was one of three ensembles selected to participate in the Aspen Music Festival’s prestigious Center for Advanced Quartet Studies. In addition, the ensemble toured Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Spain, France, England, Germany, and Japan. Dr. Fernandez continued his studies at the University of Miami, where he earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in instrumental performance.
Dr. Fernandez was a member of the South Beach Chamber Ensemble, which has received grants from The City of Miami Beach Cultural Affairs Program, the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
He has performed with many orchestras such as Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, Gran Mariscal of Ayacucho Symphony Orchestra, Miami Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, Naples Philharmonic, Amarillo Symphony, and Lubbock Symphony (as associate concertmaster). Currently, he performs with Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra, Oshkosh Symphony, and is concertmaster of the Weidner Philharmonic Orchestra.
Active as a teacher as well as a performer, Dr. Fernandez has been on the faculty of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (Michigan) since 2008 and has been invited to implement the teaching techniques of Venezuela’s renowned El Sistema in Bolivia, Cuba, Colombia, and Mexico. He was previously director of the violin program at St. Philip’s School (Coral Gables, FL), and served on the faculty of the Community Arts Program and of Greater Miami Youth Symphony. In 2013 he served as Assistant Professor of Violin at the University of Florida. He has taught general music at Valencia Elementary (Portales, NM), where he instituted an after-school strings program and general music and strings at Badger Elementary School (Appleton, WI). He was also previously on the faculty at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music (Milwaukee, WI). Dr. Fernandez presently holds the endowed Robert and Joan Bauer Endowed professorship in Strings at UW-Green Bay.
After immigrating to the United States, he earned his Master of Music degree at the University of Florida, where he served as first violin of the Nuevo Mundo quartet-in-residence. The quartet opened the Hot Springs Summer Music Festival to critical acclaim, and was one of three ensembles selected to participate in the Aspen Music Festival’s prestigious Center for Advanced Quartet Studies. In addition, the ensemble toured Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Spain, France, England, Germany, and Japan. Dr. Fernandez continued his studies at the University of Miami, where he earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in instrumental performance.
Dr. Fernandez was a member of the South Beach Chamber Ensemble, which has received grants from The City of Miami Beach Cultural Affairs Program, the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
He has performed with many orchestras such as Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, Gran Mariscal of Ayacucho Symphony Orchestra, Miami Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, Naples Philharmonic, Amarillo Symphony, and Lubbock Symphony (as associate concertmaster). Currently, he performs with Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra, Oshkosh Symphony, and is concertmaster of the Weidner Philharmonic Orchestra.
Active as a teacher as well as a performer, Dr. Fernandez has been on the faculty of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (Michigan) since 2008 and has been invited to implement the teaching techniques of Venezuela’s renowned El Sistema in Bolivia, Cuba, Colombia, and Mexico. He was previously director of the violin program at St. Philip’s School (Coral Gables, FL), and served on the faculty of the Community Arts Program and of Greater Miami Youth Symphony. In 2013 he served as Assistant Professor of Violin at the University of Florida. He has taught general music at Valencia Elementary (Portales, NM), where he instituted an after-school strings program and general music and strings at Badger Elementary School (Appleton, WI). He was also previously on the faculty at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music (Milwaukee, WI). Dr. Fernandez presently holds the endowed Robert and Joan Bauer Endowed professorship in Strings at UW-Green Bay.