Richard Fleischman is Professor of Viola at Miami's New World School of the Arts, offering Bachelor of Music Degrees in Performance. Mr. Fleischman is also responsible for high-school age violists at NWSA High School/Conservatory.
He also offers private instruction to exceptional violists of all ages.
To contact Richard Fleischman regarding private study, click here
SELECTED SUCCESS STORIES OF CURRENT AND FORMER VIOLA STUDENTS
Born Lau, (student of Richard Fleischman from 2005-2008) . currently is Distinguished Professor of Viola at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China. He is the former principal viola of the Shanghai Symphony in China , Born is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Praised for his musical imagination and passion, violist Born Lau has appeared internationally as both a soloist and chamber musician. Following a performance with the Tokyo String Quartet, Los Angeles critic Steven Woodruff wrote, “Stylish and expressive…violist Lau again showed himself to be an excellent player.” Mr. Lau has appeared as soloist with the Hong Kong Festival Orchestra, the New Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Dreyfoos Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Colburn Orchestra, and appeared as soloist in Hong Kong in the summer of 2011. In 2012-2013, he was Guest Principal Violist of the San Diego Symphony including their tour to China. He is currently Principal Violist of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared at the Yellow Barn and Sarasota Music festivals and Switzerland’s Verbier Festival Academy. The recipient of numerous awards, Mr. Lau is a winner of Astral Artists’ 2012 National Auditions. He also captured the top prize at both the 2009 Artist Series of Sarasota Scholarship Competition and the 2008 Music Society of Coral Lakes Scholarship Award, and was a prizewinner in the 2011 Schmidbauer International Strings Competition. In 2014, he was a semi-finalist in the International William Primrose Viola Competition held in Los Angeles. Originally from Hong Kong, Born graduated from high school in West Palm Beach, Florida. Born holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Colburn Conservatory of Music and a Performer's Certificate from the Curtis Institute of Music.
Vishnu Ramankutty (student of Richard Fleischman 2011-2019) was recently accepted as a Fellow of the renowned New World Symphony in Miami, USA. He was winner of the 2015 NWSA Concerto Competition, attended the Eastern Music Festival in 2015 and 2016 and the Miami Music Festival in 2017-18. In 2019 he returned to the Eastern Festival as an Orchestra Fellow. He has performed with the Miami Symphony (MISO), the Miami City Ballet Orchestra and Miami Lyric Opera. He received both his High School Diploma and Bachelor of Music from the New World School of the Arts. He completed his Master of Music Degree at Lynn Conservatory.
Cameren Anai Williams (student of Richard Fleischman 2013-2018) is completing a Master's student at Juilliard. She is a recipient of prizes from the Sphinx Foundation and the Sarasota Artist Series. She has participated in the Indian String Academy and the Sphinx summer Program. She attended Curtis SummerFest, received a fellowship to Aspen Music Festival in 2016. is a prize-winning author from the Sphinx Foundation. In 2018 she was a member of National Youth Orchestra, touring China. and in 2019 she attended the Chautauqua Music Festival. She was a member of the award-winning Marian String Quartet.
Jack Kessler (Student of Richard Fleischman 2015-2019)) was the only violist accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music in 2019. He has attended Interlochen, Center Stage Strings and the Perlman Music Program. In 2016 and 2018 he won the New World School of the Arts Concerto Competition and performed as soloist with the NWSA Symphony Orchestra. In 2017 he was Principal Viola of the Florida All-State Orchestra. He attended Bowdoin School of Music during the summer of 2017 and was 2018 Winner of the National Young Arts competition. He was featured on "From the Top" in 2019,performing the Rebecca Clarke Sonata with pianist Jeremy Denk. He graduated from The Curtis Institute of Music in 2023 and will purse a Master's Degree at Yale University.
Brandon Wu (student of Richard Fleischman since 2016) is a graduate of NWSA High School Program and is in his Junior year in the NWSA College Program. He has attended the Conservatory Audition Program, the Killington Music Festival, Castleman Quartet Program and participated several times in Florida's All-State Orchestra. He has performed in master classes for Carol Rodland, Rita Porfiris, Matthew Lipman, Phillip Ying and Clive Greensmith. He performed Paganini's Sonata per la Grand Viola with the NWSA Symphony Orchestra in 2022, as the winner of the School Concerto Competition. He is a member of the South Florida Symphony Orchestra.
Athalie Vaval, ( 2012-2016) was a member of the prestigious National Youth Orchestra in Carnegie Hall. She toured the great concert halls in USA during the summer of 2014 with violin soloist Gil Shaham and Maestro David Robertson. She is a recipient of an instrument from the Rachel Barton Foundation. as well as several local music prizes. She completed her BM at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Adrian Castillo (2011-2013) is currently a member of the National Orchestra of Dominican Republic. Adrian won the 2012 NWSA Concerto Competition and performed the Bartok VIola Concerto with the NWSA Symphony Orchestra and graduated NWSA summa cum laude.. He has also performed with the Miami City Ballet Orchestra.
Dawn Michelle Johnson (Smith)(1999-2003) a graduate of New World School of the Arts, has been a guest soloist with national and international symphony orchestras including the Moscow State Symphony and the New World Symphony, under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas. She holds B.M. and M.M. degrees from The Juilliard School in New York. In 2003, Dawn was the recipient of the Florida First Lady's Scholarship Award and a featured soloist with the Santa Fe Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra performing the Telemann Concerto. She has served as principal violist of the The Juilliard School's Symphony and Orchestra. She now lives in Washington DC, as director of a Magnet string program. Recent performances include the SInfonia Concertante with the Ars Flores Chamber Orchestra in Miami. While at NWSA, she was a two-time winner of the school's Concerto Competition. She joined the faculty of the Killington Music Festival in 2015. She was recipient of the 2016 Washington DC Mayor's Prize in Arts Education. She is a member of the nationally-acclaimed trio "The String Queens."
Sergein Yap ( 2002-2006) graduated NWSA's high school conservatory, was winner of the school's Annual Concerto Competition, performed as soloist with the Moscow State Symphony, performed for the Governor and First Lady of Florida as winner of the First Lady's Scholarship Award and then traveled with Mrs.Bush to Rome, Italy where he performed as soloist for the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican. In college, he studied with Ivo van der Werff at Rice University, Martha Katz at the New England Conservatory, and with Jeffrey Irvine and Lynne Ramsey at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Sergein was selected as a 2016 Zarin Mehta Fellow with the New York Philharmonic Global Academy Fellowship Program. Heis on faculty at the University of St. Thomas, the Kinkaid School, Houston Youth Symphony, and serves on the executive board of the Houston Viola Society. For the past 4 years, his students have held top chairs in HYS, Region, and TMEA All-State Symphony. Mr. Yap's class of 2020 seniors were accepted to the Cleveland Institute of Music, New England Conservatory, Rice University, McGill University, Eastman School of Music, Oberlin College, Mannes School of Music, UT Austin, University of Houston, and the University of North Texas.
Samuel Pang (2007 Hong Kong) Samuel is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where he was a winner of the school Concerto Competition during his freshman year, performing the Hoffmeister Viola Concerto. He was conductor of the Hong Kong Festival Orchestra in 2010-2011. He is currently director of Orchestras at the Diocesan Boys School in Hong Kong.
Rafael Ramirez, (2001-2005) received his Bachelor of Music degree from New World School of the Arts in 2005, and his Master of Music degree at Florida International University. He attended the Bowdoin School of Music in Maine in 2006 and performed Mozart's SInfonia Concertante in Venezuela in 2007. Rafael completed his DMA at the University of Miami and performed with the South Beach Chamber Ensemble.
Carl St. Jacques, (1996-1997) alumnus of NWSA continued his studies at Indiana University. He was a Laureate prize winner in the Sphinx Strings Competition in 1999 and 2002 and recently won a Sphinx Music Assistance Fund prize. He was a member of the prestigious Verbier Festival Orchestra in France from 2000-2006.. Carl has also performed with the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra, performs with the Sphinx Virtuosi and will soon join the viola section of the Miami City Ballet Orchestra. In 2014 he gave a series of solo viola recitals in the USA and Australia. He passed away in 2022.
Lucas Goodman ( 2008-2009) After achieving many accomplishments during his senior year of High School, including playing as Principal Viola of The Florida All State Orchestra and the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra. Lucas is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where he received his B.M. and MM degrees. He was a member of the TON Orchestra.
Dr. Mauricio Cespedes ( 2001-2005) is Principal violist of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.. He was Principal violist of the 2011 You Tube Symphony Orchestra in Australia, under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas. He served as Principal Viola in the Bolivian National Symphony Orchestra, and at the Millennium Concert (Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center-New York) as assistant principal viola to Cynthia Phelps. He completed his DMA at Florida State University. He has participated in the Mimir, and Aspen Advance Quartet Programs and with the Michigan Chamber Music Society. Mauricio was been a winner of the 2002 NWSA Concerto Competition, Ibero American Symphony Competition, participation in the 2005 Ozaka International Chamber Music Competition. His solo performances include concerts with the New World School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Bolivia, La Paz Symphony Orchestra, International Festival Orchestra in Bolivia, El Festival del Sol Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Concertante of Cochabamba, the National Conservatory of Bolivia Symphony Orchestra. He was honored with the Alumni Award at the 2017 Rising Stars Celebration at New World School of the Arts.
Sharon Tenhundfeld, ( 1998-2002) a NWSA high school graduate, Sharon was Principal Viola with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. She has collaborated with many artists and ensembles such as James Buswell, Parker String Quartet and the Borromeo String Quartet. She has also been a member of Boston's premier new music ensemble, Callithumpian Consort and can be heard on several of their recordings found on Mode Records. Currently, she resides in Chicago as member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, violist of the Élan String Quartet, and teacher. She holds a Bachelor and Master of Arts from New England Conservatory. Additional studies have taken her to the National Orchestral Institute, Blossom Music Festival, Heifetz International Music Institute, Sarasota Music Festival and Sewanee Summer Music Festival. While a student at NWSA, she was a two-time winner of the School Concerto Competition. Sharon received her DMA at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and is a member of the Madison Symphony.
Jerome Gordon, (1996-1999) a NWSA graduate of the high school conservatory, spent 3 years as a member of the New World Symphony. He has performed throughout Europe and recently was principal violist of the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Switzerland. He received his BM from Northwestern and his MM at University of Southern California. While he was a student as NWSA, he was winner of the Annual Concerto Competition and the Dean's Award. For several years he has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the National Symphony and the Pacific Symphony and has been invited to perform as guest principal violist with the Amarillo and Berkeley symphonies. Jerome was a viola coach for actress Catherine Keener in her performance as a violist in the film "A Late Quartet." Jerome has performed on numerous movie and television soundtracks.
Victor Fernandez (1997-2000) is the orchestra director at Leon High School and Augusta Ray Middle School in Tallahassee, FL. He currently holds a Masters degree in Music Education as well as a bachelor degrees in Viola Performance and Music Education from the Florida State University. Victor was previously director of the Symphonic Strings for the Tallahassee Symphony Youth Orchestra. In 2011. Victor was named Teacher of the Year in his school district and now is director of a new string program in Palm Beach.
David RIker (2004-2008) has performed with the Renaissance Chamber Orchestra, the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra and the Miami City Ballet Orchestra. David’s own students have been well represented in district, county, state, and national music festivals and competitions. During 2016-2017, he was a member of Orchestra TON in New York.
If you are a former student, please contact me so I can add your news to the website.
He also offers private instruction to exceptional violists of all ages.
To contact Richard Fleischman regarding private study, click here
SELECTED SUCCESS STORIES OF CURRENT AND FORMER VIOLA STUDENTS
Born Lau, (student of Richard Fleischman from 2005-2008) . currently is Distinguished Professor of Viola at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China. He is the former principal viola of the Shanghai Symphony in China , Born is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Praised for his musical imagination and passion, violist Born Lau has appeared internationally as both a soloist and chamber musician. Following a performance with the Tokyo String Quartet, Los Angeles critic Steven Woodruff wrote, “Stylish and expressive…violist Lau again showed himself to be an excellent player.” Mr. Lau has appeared as soloist with the Hong Kong Festival Orchestra, the New Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Dreyfoos Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Colburn Orchestra, and appeared as soloist in Hong Kong in the summer of 2011. In 2012-2013, he was Guest Principal Violist of the San Diego Symphony including their tour to China. He is currently Principal Violist of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared at the Yellow Barn and Sarasota Music festivals and Switzerland’s Verbier Festival Academy. The recipient of numerous awards, Mr. Lau is a winner of Astral Artists’ 2012 National Auditions. He also captured the top prize at both the 2009 Artist Series of Sarasota Scholarship Competition and the 2008 Music Society of Coral Lakes Scholarship Award, and was a prizewinner in the 2011 Schmidbauer International Strings Competition. In 2014, he was a semi-finalist in the International William Primrose Viola Competition held in Los Angeles. Originally from Hong Kong, Born graduated from high school in West Palm Beach, Florida. Born holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Colburn Conservatory of Music and a Performer's Certificate from the Curtis Institute of Music.
Vishnu Ramankutty (student of Richard Fleischman 2011-2019) was recently accepted as a Fellow of the renowned New World Symphony in Miami, USA. He was winner of the 2015 NWSA Concerto Competition, attended the Eastern Music Festival in 2015 and 2016 and the Miami Music Festival in 2017-18. In 2019 he returned to the Eastern Festival as an Orchestra Fellow. He has performed with the Miami Symphony (MISO), the Miami City Ballet Orchestra and Miami Lyric Opera. He received both his High School Diploma and Bachelor of Music from the New World School of the Arts. He completed his Master of Music Degree at Lynn Conservatory.
Cameren Anai Williams (student of Richard Fleischman 2013-2018) is completing a Master's student at Juilliard. She is a recipient of prizes from the Sphinx Foundation and the Sarasota Artist Series. She has participated in the Indian String Academy and the Sphinx summer Program. She attended Curtis SummerFest, received a fellowship to Aspen Music Festival in 2016. is a prize-winning author from the Sphinx Foundation. In 2018 she was a member of National Youth Orchestra, touring China. and in 2019 she attended the Chautauqua Music Festival. She was a member of the award-winning Marian String Quartet.
Jack Kessler (Student of Richard Fleischman 2015-2019)) was the only violist accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music in 2019. He has attended Interlochen, Center Stage Strings and the Perlman Music Program. In 2016 and 2018 he won the New World School of the Arts Concerto Competition and performed as soloist with the NWSA Symphony Orchestra. In 2017 he was Principal Viola of the Florida All-State Orchestra. He attended Bowdoin School of Music during the summer of 2017 and was 2018 Winner of the National Young Arts competition. He was featured on "From the Top" in 2019,performing the Rebecca Clarke Sonata with pianist Jeremy Denk. He graduated from The Curtis Institute of Music in 2023 and will purse a Master's Degree at Yale University.
Brandon Wu (student of Richard Fleischman since 2016) is a graduate of NWSA High School Program and is in his Junior year in the NWSA College Program. He has attended the Conservatory Audition Program, the Killington Music Festival, Castleman Quartet Program and participated several times in Florida's All-State Orchestra. He has performed in master classes for Carol Rodland, Rita Porfiris, Matthew Lipman, Phillip Ying and Clive Greensmith. He performed Paganini's Sonata per la Grand Viola with the NWSA Symphony Orchestra in 2022, as the winner of the School Concerto Competition. He is a member of the South Florida Symphony Orchestra.
Athalie Vaval, ( 2012-2016) was a member of the prestigious National Youth Orchestra in Carnegie Hall. She toured the great concert halls in USA during the summer of 2014 with violin soloist Gil Shaham and Maestro David Robertson. She is a recipient of an instrument from the Rachel Barton Foundation. as well as several local music prizes. She completed her BM at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Adrian Castillo (2011-2013) is currently a member of the National Orchestra of Dominican Republic. Adrian won the 2012 NWSA Concerto Competition and performed the Bartok VIola Concerto with the NWSA Symphony Orchestra and graduated NWSA summa cum laude.. He has also performed with the Miami City Ballet Orchestra.
Dawn Michelle Johnson (Smith)(1999-2003) a graduate of New World School of the Arts, has been a guest soloist with national and international symphony orchestras including the Moscow State Symphony and the New World Symphony, under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas. She holds B.M. and M.M. degrees from The Juilliard School in New York. In 2003, Dawn was the recipient of the Florida First Lady's Scholarship Award and a featured soloist with the Santa Fe Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra performing the Telemann Concerto. She has served as principal violist of the The Juilliard School's Symphony and Orchestra. She now lives in Washington DC, as director of a Magnet string program. Recent performances include the SInfonia Concertante with the Ars Flores Chamber Orchestra in Miami. While at NWSA, she was a two-time winner of the school's Concerto Competition. She joined the faculty of the Killington Music Festival in 2015. She was recipient of the 2016 Washington DC Mayor's Prize in Arts Education. She is a member of the nationally-acclaimed trio "The String Queens."
Sergein Yap ( 2002-2006) graduated NWSA's high school conservatory, was winner of the school's Annual Concerto Competition, performed as soloist with the Moscow State Symphony, performed for the Governor and First Lady of Florida as winner of the First Lady's Scholarship Award and then traveled with Mrs.Bush to Rome, Italy where he performed as soloist for the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican. In college, he studied with Ivo van der Werff at Rice University, Martha Katz at the New England Conservatory, and with Jeffrey Irvine and Lynne Ramsey at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Sergein was selected as a 2016 Zarin Mehta Fellow with the New York Philharmonic Global Academy Fellowship Program. Heis on faculty at the University of St. Thomas, the Kinkaid School, Houston Youth Symphony, and serves on the executive board of the Houston Viola Society. For the past 4 years, his students have held top chairs in HYS, Region, and TMEA All-State Symphony. Mr. Yap's class of 2020 seniors were accepted to the Cleveland Institute of Music, New England Conservatory, Rice University, McGill University, Eastman School of Music, Oberlin College, Mannes School of Music, UT Austin, University of Houston, and the University of North Texas.
Samuel Pang (2007 Hong Kong) Samuel is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where he was a winner of the school Concerto Competition during his freshman year, performing the Hoffmeister Viola Concerto. He was conductor of the Hong Kong Festival Orchestra in 2010-2011. He is currently director of Orchestras at the Diocesan Boys School in Hong Kong.
Rafael Ramirez, (2001-2005) received his Bachelor of Music degree from New World School of the Arts in 2005, and his Master of Music degree at Florida International University. He attended the Bowdoin School of Music in Maine in 2006 and performed Mozart's SInfonia Concertante in Venezuela in 2007. Rafael completed his DMA at the University of Miami and performed with the South Beach Chamber Ensemble.
Carl St. Jacques, (1996-1997) alumnus of NWSA continued his studies at Indiana University. He was a Laureate prize winner in the Sphinx Strings Competition in 1999 and 2002 and recently won a Sphinx Music Assistance Fund prize. He was a member of the prestigious Verbier Festival Orchestra in France from 2000-2006.. Carl has also performed with the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra, performs with the Sphinx Virtuosi and will soon join the viola section of the Miami City Ballet Orchestra. In 2014 he gave a series of solo viola recitals in the USA and Australia. He passed away in 2022.
Lucas Goodman ( 2008-2009) After achieving many accomplishments during his senior year of High School, including playing as Principal Viola of The Florida All State Orchestra and the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra. Lucas is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where he received his B.M. and MM degrees. He was a member of the TON Orchestra.
Dr. Mauricio Cespedes ( 2001-2005) is Principal violist of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.. He was Principal violist of the 2011 You Tube Symphony Orchestra in Australia, under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas. He served as Principal Viola in the Bolivian National Symphony Orchestra, and at the Millennium Concert (Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center-New York) as assistant principal viola to Cynthia Phelps. He completed his DMA at Florida State University. He has participated in the Mimir, and Aspen Advance Quartet Programs and with the Michigan Chamber Music Society. Mauricio was been a winner of the 2002 NWSA Concerto Competition, Ibero American Symphony Competition, participation in the 2005 Ozaka International Chamber Music Competition. His solo performances include concerts with the New World School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Bolivia, La Paz Symphony Orchestra, International Festival Orchestra in Bolivia, El Festival del Sol Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Concertante of Cochabamba, the National Conservatory of Bolivia Symphony Orchestra. He was honored with the Alumni Award at the 2017 Rising Stars Celebration at New World School of the Arts.
Sharon Tenhundfeld, ( 1998-2002) a NWSA high school graduate, Sharon was Principal Viola with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. She has collaborated with many artists and ensembles such as James Buswell, Parker String Quartet and the Borromeo String Quartet. She has also been a member of Boston's premier new music ensemble, Callithumpian Consort and can be heard on several of their recordings found on Mode Records. Currently, she resides in Chicago as member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, violist of the Élan String Quartet, and teacher. She holds a Bachelor and Master of Arts from New England Conservatory. Additional studies have taken her to the National Orchestral Institute, Blossom Music Festival, Heifetz International Music Institute, Sarasota Music Festival and Sewanee Summer Music Festival. While a student at NWSA, she was a two-time winner of the School Concerto Competition. Sharon received her DMA at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and is a member of the Madison Symphony.
Jerome Gordon, (1996-1999) a NWSA graduate of the high school conservatory, spent 3 years as a member of the New World Symphony. He has performed throughout Europe and recently was principal violist of the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Switzerland. He received his BM from Northwestern and his MM at University of Southern California. While he was a student as NWSA, he was winner of the Annual Concerto Competition and the Dean's Award. For several years he has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the National Symphony and the Pacific Symphony and has been invited to perform as guest principal violist with the Amarillo and Berkeley symphonies. Jerome was a viola coach for actress Catherine Keener in her performance as a violist in the film "A Late Quartet." Jerome has performed on numerous movie and television soundtracks.
Victor Fernandez (1997-2000) is the orchestra director at Leon High School and Augusta Ray Middle School in Tallahassee, FL. He currently holds a Masters degree in Music Education as well as a bachelor degrees in Viola Performance and Music Education from the Florida State University. Victor was previously director of the Symphonic Strings for the Tallahassee Symphony Youth Orchestra. In 2011. Victor was named Teacher of the Year in his school district and now is director of a new string program in Palm Beach.
David RIker (2004-2008) has performed with the Renaissance Chamber Orchestra, the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra and the Miami City Ballet Orchestra. David’s own students have been well represented in district, county, state, and national music festivals and competitions. During 2016-2017, he was a member of Orchestra TON in New York.
If you are a former student, please contact me so I can add your news to the website.