João Felipe Da Fraga knows firsthand the intensity of playing in a string quartet. Since arriving in Miami in 2019 to pursue a master of Instrumental Performance in Violin, he has been an integral member of the Henry Mancini Quartet.
As a member of a renowned ensemble, Da Fraga has had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the US as one of the quartet's violinists. Currently in his second year of DMA in Violin Performance at the Frost School of Music, Da Fraga has gained valuable insights into composers' most personal expressions. He has developed a deep appreciation for the nuanced artistry of four-string players through his participation in intimate musical experiences.
"We went to Montana to be featured in the Sukin Series by the Billings Symphony. We also went to New York City to perform at the National Sawdust," says Da Fraga, highlighting the non-profit performing arts organization and music venue that curates, commissions, and produces music and artistic works rooted in curiosity, experimentation, innovation, and inclusivity. "In May, we played in the Adirondack Mountains, a natural wonder in New York, and the experience continues to inspire me," he adds.
Da Fraga admits that studying under Frost School of Music Professor Charles Castleman and Professor Jody Levitz is a dream come true. As Castleman's teaching assistant, he has greater access to leadership and artist-led events that involve the quartet.
In September, the HMI Quartet will perform alongside Grammy Award-winning singer Anthony Griffey. According to Da Fraga, Griffey is renowned for his exceptional expressiveness, vocal mastery, and unique artistry that seems to radiate from his soul. Da Fraga is thrilled about this event, feeling just as excited as he was as a young boy in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Espírito Santo, Brazil.
There, he learned the importance of a good education from his parents, but his passion for music was all his. At 13, he started playing the violin and joined a community project called Casa Verde.
Later, he attended FEMUSC (Festival de Música de Santa Catarina), directed by acclaimed oboist Alex Klein. “This was a wonderful festival that placed musicians of all levels together, enabling kids like me from small cities to be exposed to the highest level of musicianship,” he recounts.
As his love for the violin grew stronger, Da Fraga yearned to become a master of it. When he was 15, he briefly participated in a community program called Orquestrando a Vida in Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro.
This program was part of El Sistema, a music education community program founded in Venezuela in 1975 by José Antonio Abreu, a Venezuelan musician, educator, and activist. The program's "Music for Social Change" motto became widely known across the globe. This vision inspired El Sistema USA, which currently has 140 Member Organizations that cater to nearly 20,000 students and support over 1,500 Teaching Artists across 35 states.
Da Fraga stayed involved with El Sistema and helped establish music groups, orchestras, and music schools for children in various communities, keeping the next generation off the streets. “Venezuela created one of the best orchestras in the world,” he recalls. “Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel also came from that program and was just named Artistic Director of the New York Philharmonic.”
He was admitted into the Brazilian Youth Symphony Orchestra in Rio de Janeiro and continued attending festivals annually. In 2013, Klein introduced him to violin instructor James Alexander, who extended him the incredible opportunity to study overseas.
“There’s a scholarship opportunity that I think it’s perfect for you,” Klein texted Da Fraga, “Do you want it?”
“Where is it?” Da Fraga asked, and Klein replied, “Louisiana.” Despite not knowing much about Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, Da Fraga accepted the full scholarship offer. “I always wanted to leave Brazil and explore the world,” he explains. “The violin served as an instrument that could take me away.”
For six years, Da Fraga was mentored by Alexander, who suggested that he audition for Professor Castleman, a recent Miami transplant. Da Fraga was hesitant and doubted his ability to pass the audition. However, after playing for Professor Castleman, he successfully passed the test.
“Professor Castleman is my mentor at the Frost School of Music. He is a master of the violin. I am so grateful to him,” concludes Da Fraga. “I am so happy to be here. Looking back, I am humbled by my success and indebted to those who supported me. I played a Guadagnini violin for a year, which costs a million dollars. I came from a little town in Brazil and am now at the Napa Valley Festival. I’ve played with the Florida Grand Opera and the Palm Beach Symphony. It has been an amazing ride!”
And it’s not over yet, he says. “Kids can have a better future, and arts is the answer. Music gets into your body and vibrates through your soul. Musicians play it, and audiences get moved by it. Music, chamber music in particular, give answers to things that you never thought you could have, or answers to questions that you didn't even know you had.”
Someday, he hopes to teach that to kids. Here or in Brazil, or wherever his violin takes him next.
