Avi Nagin was recently appointed Second Violin of the critically acclaimed Amernet String Quartet, FIU’s Artist-in-Residence Ensemble. An active recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral player, and educator, Nagin has performed in collaboration with members of the Ebène and Orion Quartets, as well as with Paul Coletti, Benny and Eric Kim, Ronald Leonard, Julian Schwarz, Ole Okahoshi, J.Y. Song, Kathryn Lockwood, and Gil Morgenstern. In 2019, Nagin served as Associate Concertmaster of the Sarasota Opera, also leading the orchestra as Concertmaster in the company’s production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Prior to joining the Amernet, Nagin was Principal 2nd Violin of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Principal 2nd Violin of Symphony in C, section violin with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, and regularly performed with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Other festival appearances in 2019 include a return engagement performing chamber music at An Appalachian Summer Festival (NC), the Artosphere Festival (AR), Maverick Concerts (NY), Bargemusic (NY), and he was on faculty at East Tennessee State University’s inaugural chamber music festival. Additionally, Nagin was invited to perform with the renowned Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in NYC. In past summers, Nagin has served as Concertmaster of the Lake George Music Festival (NY) and Principal 2nd Violin of the Manchester Music Festival (VT).
As an educator in the NY area, Nagin was faculty assistant to Dr. Ann Setzer at The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division, violin faculty and chamber music coordinator at the JCC Thurnauer School of Music (NJ), chamber music faculty for the New York Youth Symphony, and a “Teaching Artist” with Yale University’s Music in Schools Initiative. During his time as a student, Nagin attended prestigious masterclasses and festivals around the world, including appearing twice at the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove (UK), where he appeared in masterclasses for Philippe Graffin, András Keller, and legendary violinist Ivry Gitlis. At Carnegie Hall, Nagin was the youngest participant invited to appear in Leon Fleisher’s Brahms Chamber Music Workshop, where he worked with Mr. Fleisher, Yo-Yo Ma, and Pamela Frank as well as performing at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. Nagin held leadership positions in the orchestras of Tanglewood and Aspen, and attended Kneisel Hall, the Heifetz Institute, and the Meadowmount School of Music. Nagin earned a Master of Music from the Yale School of Music and a Bachelor of Music from The Colburn School. Nagin’s principal teachers include Ani Kavafian, Robert Lispett, Daniel Phillips, and Ann Setzer, as well as violin and chamber music studies with Arnold Steinhardt of the Guarneri Quartet.
