Eduardo Rios – violin

Twenty-one-year old violinist Eduardo Rios is the winner of the 2015 Sphinx Competition. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Mr. Rios enjoys performing as soloist, chamber musician and orchestra concertmaster. Since his solo debut at age fourteen with the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru, Mr. Rios has traveled around the globe performing in a variety of settings. He made his American debut with the Houston Symphony performing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Recent highlights include his debuts with the Charlotte Symphony, Nashville Symphony and the Brevard Concert Orchestra. Other appearances as a guest soloist include Royce Hall debut with the Young Artists Symphony Orchestra, as well as a performance of the Saint-Saens Violin Concerto No. 3 with the Colburn Orchestra, Carlos Kalmar conducting. Upcoming performances include debuts in the “Gran Teatro Nacional” with the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru in Lima, and the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Mr. Rios is currently an Artist Diploma candidate at the Colburn School Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles where he studies with the Jascha Heifetz Distinguished Violin Chair, Robert Lipsett. He is co-concertmaster of the Colburn Orchestra. Previously he held the position of concertmaster for the American Youth Symphony from 2013–2015 and concertmaster of the Young Artists Symphony Orchestra from 2015-2016. A committed chamber musician, Mr. Rios was first violinist of the former Alma String Quartet, performing on chamber music series throughout the Southern California area. Coached by the Brentano, Emerson and Tokyo String Quartets, Mr. Rios’ quartet also attended the 2014 Norfolk Chamber Music Festival as well as the McGill International String Quartet Academy. Mr. Rios has also collaborated with renowned musicians including Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Alisa Weilerstein, Alexander Kerr and Emanuel Ax.

Mr. Rios first came to the United States at age fifteen under the auspices of the cultural exchange program, Traveling Notes. For the next several years, Mr. Rios continued his musical studies in Peru at the National Conservatory and served as concertmaster of the National Youth Orchestra for four years. During this time, Mr. Rios returned to the US to attend the Interlochen Center for the Arts Summer Camp, and participated in tours and festivals around the globe including the 2011 Youth Orchestra of America tour of Mexico. Also in 2011, Mr. Rios traveled to Armenia with Traveling Notes where he performed alongside American and Armenian young musicians and participated in educational outreach to local music schools. In 2013, Mr. Rios was a fellowship student at the Aspen Music Festival and School and participated in the Festival Musica de Santa Catarina in Brazil. Later that year Mr. Rios attended the New York String Orchestra Seminar and performed two concerts at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Jamie Laredo.