Biography
Ethiopian-Hungarian violinist Samuel Nebyu has performed as a soloist at international music festivals and venues such as the Musikverein, Berlin Philharmonie Concert Hall, KKL in Lucerne, Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York, The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Wallis Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills, Verizon Hall and Perelman Theater in Philadelphia, Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, the Centre of Performing Arts in Brussels (BOZAR), Peles Castle in Romania, the Wiener Saal and Grosse Saal in Salzburg, Tel Aviv Museum of Arts, Crown Hall in Jerusalem, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Teatro Mayor in Colombia, Gran Teatro Nacional in Peru, and Astana Central Concert Hall in Kazakhstan.
Samuel has performed as a soloist with the Brussels Philharmonic, Bacau Philharmonic, Ion Dumitrescu Philharmonic, Wallonie Chamber Orchestra, Eurasian Symphony Orchestra, iPalpiti Chamber orchestra, and Anne-Sophie Mutter Virtuosi. His first CD, “Music by Composers of African Descent,” was released on the BCM+D label and was named Album of the Week by WRTI radio in Philadelphia and WQXR in New York. Samuel is featured on a second CD, called “Majestic Classics,” where he performed Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with the iPalpiti Chamber Orchestra and violist Juan Miguel Hernandez. In 2019, he was the featured soloist at the Kimmel Center Verizon Hall in Philadelphia, performing the concerto for Violin with Choir and Orchestra “Singing Rooms” by Jennifer Higdon and also gave a recital with Lambert Orkis in Rock Hall, Philadelphia.
Samuel has received commendations from the city of Salzburg after his performance at the Salzburg Festspiel in 2016 and from the City of Los Angeles in Walt Disney Hall in 2019. In October 2019, Samuel joined Anne-Sophie Mutter’s Virtuosi on her sixth tour with the exclusive soloist ensemble. He performed Mendelssohn’s Octet and Bach’s concerto for two violins as soloist with Anne-Sophie Mutter. In January 2021, during lockdown, Samuel performed a recital with Charles Abramovic on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Philadelphia virtually for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He recently joined Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi on a month-long tour in Europe, giving 19 performances in Denmark, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Austria, and Switzerland. Samuel had the privilege to perform the Swiss premiere of Unsuk Chin’s Gran Cadenza for two violins with Anne-Sophie Mutter at the KKL in Lucerne. Samuel is currently working with composers Rollo Dilworth and Tyson Davis on his future compositions.
Awards and Accomplishments
2013 | Remember Enescu competition first place, Romania
2014 | December concerto competition winner, Philadelphia
2015 | ASTA Grand Prize winner, Salt Lake City, Utah
2015 | Performance with Bacau Philharmonic and Valcea Symphony Orchestra, Romania
2016 | Clifton Emerging Artist Award, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia
2016 | Mozarteum competition winner, selected to perform at Salzburg Festspiel
2017 | Mozart Sinfonia Concertante performance in Salzburg with Miguel Hernandez
2017-2019 | Master of Music
2018 | Release of first Solo Album
2018 | WRTI Classical Album of the Week for Music by Composers of African Descent Album
2019-2022 | Doctor of Musical Arts
2019 | Soloist in Kimmel center performing Jennifer Higdon’s Singing Rooms for Orchestra,
Choir and violin solo
2019 | South American tour with Anne Sophie Mutter and Virtuosi
2019 | Respighi Sonata performance with Lambert Orkis, Philadelphia
2021 | October-November European Concert tour with Anne Sophie Mutter and Virtuosi
2022 | February Brahms Violin concerto with TUSO, Philadelphia
2022 |September Debut Recital in Lucerne Festival with pianist Charles Abramovic, Switzerland