MATHEUS SOUZA

violin

Matheus Sardinha Garcia Souza is a Brazilian violinist with an eclectic musical background who currently resides in New York City. In the last calendar year, he has performed more than 160 times, including concerts at the United Nations in New York City and as soloist in Brazil with the Londrina State University Symphony Orchestra, and he has recorded soundtracks in the United States for franchises such as Tomb Raider, Kingdom Hearts, and Mortal Kombat.  Dr. Souza is also a member of the New York Symphonic Ensemble, which regularly tours Japan, violinist of the contemporary chamber ensemble Unheard-of//Ensemble, and an original member of the Annapolis Chamber Music Festival of Maryland.  In addition, Dr. Souza also conducts, serving as substitute conductor of the Hunter College Symphony Orchestra of New York.

A sought-after instructor of both violin and music theory, Dr. Souza has given workshops and master classes throughout the United States and in Brazil and Japan, and has also been involved in community outreach as a violinist, conductor, and pedagogue through the Yale School of Music’s “Music In Schools Initiative” and the Associação Solidariedade Sempre of Londrina, Brazil. Since 2017 Dr. Souza has also assisted in the teaching of the aural theory courses for graduate students at the Yale School of Music.

Dr. Souza holds degrees from Stony Brook University, the Yale School of Music, and the University of Missouri, where he studied with Philip Setzer, Syoko Aki, and Eva Szekely. Upon receiving his Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music, he was the first recipient to be awarded the Malcolm L. Mitchell and Donald M. Roberts Class of 1957 award for his excellence in teaching and conducting. Dr. Souza has also worked with conductors Kurt Masur, Krysztof Penderecki, and Peter Oundjian, cellist Antonio Meneses, Baroque violinist Robert Mealy, and pianist Peter Frankl.  In addition, his early interest in Brazilian Chôrogave him the tools to go beyond the strict classical training imposed on most violinists.  He has collaborated with masters of this genre, including Joel Nascimento, Jaime Vignoli, and Oscar Bolao.