Nigel Armstrong is emerging as a dynamic and creative artist both within and beyond the realm of classical music. From his musical beginnings as a member of "The Little Fiddlers" in Sonoma, CA to collaborations with tango musicians in Argentina he's enjoyed using the violin in a versatile manner throughout his life. As a soloist he's performed with orchestras such as the Dusseldorf Symphony, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Youth Orchestra of the Americas, and the Boston Pops, and with conductors including Sir Neville Marriner and Carlos Miguel Prieto. As a chamber musician his concerts have taken him across the US and abroad -highlights have included opportunities to share the stage with the Tokyo String Quartet and pianist Jonathan Biss. Armstrong was named concertmaster of the Santa Cruz Symphony in California earlier this year and will begin the position in fall 2016.
Nigel Armstrong has also won prizes in many of the world’s most prestigious international competitions. At the XIV International Tchaikovsky International Competition, he was the highest-ranked American prizewinner (Fourth Prize) as well as winner of the special prize for the best performance of the commissioned composition by renowned composer John Corigliano. Other prizes include silver-medal wins in the 2010 Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition, held in Oslo, Norway, and the First International Violin Competition in Buenos Aires, also held in 2010. In both competitions, he received additional prizes, including the Premio Tango in Buenos Aires and the Ole Bull and Nordheim awards in Oslo. In 2008, Armstrong received multiple prizes in the Corpus Christi International Competition, including the Howard Beebe String Award for Solo Bach Performance and the Jean Ten Have Award for Violin Performance.
A graduate of the Colburn School and the Curtis Institute of Music, Nigel's teachers have included Arnold Steinhardt, Robert Lipsett, Zaven Melikian, and Donald Weilerstein, among others. He also feels fortunate to have lived with and learned from the Plum Village community founded by Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, where he recently spent a year working on their organic farm and taking part in their daily life.
