“…an electrifying performer for his powerful stage presence and spontaneity that grows irresistible.”—Backstage New York.
Since his Carnegie Hall solo debut in 2009, multi-faceted touring artist Nilko Andreas has been performing on three continents as an internationally awarded classical guitarist, Composer, Actor, Music Director, and singer (La Cumbiamba eNeYe, LaMar NYC), Born in Colombia, he carries the musical legacy of his motherland, layered with his experiences as a leading classical musician around the world and 22 years of living, producing and conducting in New York City where he constantly performs as a soloist and well as Chamber Musician with different ensembles.
Mr. Andreas has appeared as soloist with the Prague Symphony Orchestra, the Shenzhen Symphonic Orchestra of China, the Surabaya Symphony Orchestra in Indonesia, the “Mariuccia Iacovino” orchestra and “Barra Mansa” orchestra from Brazil, The Baja California Orchestra in Mexico, The Azlo Orchestra, Tactus contemporary ensemble, The New York Chamber Ensemble, The Rebow ensemble of NY, The Metro Orchestra in NY, the WHCO among others.
He has participated in international festivals such as Cooperstown festival, Vale do Café, and Festival do Inverno do Petropolis in Brazil, The Mannes Guitar seminar and Long Island Guitar Festival in NY, “Wildthurn” in Munich, Germany, “Moment Musicaux” in Normandie, France, Festival EAFIT in Medellin, Colombia. He has worked with prominent composers, including Alba Potes, “Prix de Rome” winner Juan Pablo Carreno, Kevin Purcell, Juan Pablo Contreras, Ricardo Calderoni, Reinaldo Moya, Francisco Zumaque, Juan Calderon, Ricardo Llorca, and Francisco Zumaque. and with conductors such as Bartholomeus Van de Velde, Solomon Tong, David Gilbert, Vince Lee, Michel Adelson, Laurine Fox, Alondra de la Parra, Chris Whittaker, and Eduardo Garcia Barrios. Nilko Andreas has appeared with Time Warner TV, RCN TV, Univision 41, Fox News, Cuny TV, HJUT, “W” Radio in Colombia, and WQXR in New York. He has recorded with Multiplatinum Artists.
Born in Colombia, Nilko Andreas has a great interest in the composers of Latin America, constantly commissioning and premiering new works. He premiered at Carnegie Hall “Tukanos” Concerto for guitar and orchestra by Alba Potes and Ricardo Calderoni’s “Concerto Chamaleon” as part of the “Amazonas Series.”
He is the founder of “Amazonas,” a series presented at Carnegie Hall since 2010, with a serious interest in raising awareness of environmental damage worldwide. He will perform the Villa-Lobos Guitar concerto at Carnegie Hall on May 25th, 2023. He was “Don Quixote” in the Musical “The Man of la Mancha” by Musical Theater Heritage. His passion for the work of Federico Garcia Lorca made him collaborate and write music for many Lorca. “La zapatera prodigiosa,” his score and collaboration with Grupo “Artificio Theater” led to rave reviews and awards, and more recently, he conceived and directed “Asi canta Federico,” a musical theater portrait of the life and work of Federico Garcia Lorca.
At age five, he began playing cello at the National Conservatory of Music in Bogota. He holds a BM and a Master of Music degree from The Manhattan School of Music in NY, where he graduated in classical guitar, composition, and orchestral conducting.
An accomplished educator, he has given master classes and conferences at distinguished universities such as Columbia University, the Mannes College of Music in New York, NYU, The Berkley School of Music, the French Alliance in Cartagena Universidad del Norte, Bellas Artes in Barranquilla, the Eafit University in Colombia. Campos dos Goytacases in Brazil, the University of Jakarta, Indonesia, and Redes 2025 in Tijuana, Mexico, and Sookmyung College of Music in Seoul, Korea, and others.
He is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Latin American Chamber Music Society of New York and the Artistic Director at AZLO productions. www.nilkoandreas.com
CHRISTINE GROSSMAN, VIOLIST
Born to a musical family and raised in New York City, Christine Grossman began playing the violin at the age of five, piano at the age of ten, and viola at sixteen. She received both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in viola performance from the Juilliard School, where she studied with Heidi Castleman, Misha Amory, and Hsin-Yun Huang. Past teachers also include Roberto Diaz, Karen Ritscher, Patti Kopec, Isaac Malkin, and Dorothy Roffman.
Before moving to Kansas City, Ms. Grossman previously held positions with the Pacific Symphony in Southern California, Delaware Symphony, and was a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL. She has also performed as a substitute violist with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.
An avid chamber musician, Ms. Grossman was formerly in the California Quartet, based in San Diego. Other performances and festival appearances include the Portland Chamber Music Festival (ME), Laguna Beach Music Festival (CA), Great Lakes Music Festival (MI), Festival Mozaic (CA), Emerald City Music Festival (WA), Breckenridge Music Festival, Colorado Music Festival, and Missouri River Festival of the Arts in Boonville, MO.
Ms. Grossman served as the Principal Violist with the Kansas City Symphony from 2008 until 2019. She enjoyed several solo appearances with the orchestra, including Berlioz’ Harold in Italy, an arrangement of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody featuring solo viola as Freddie Mercury, and most recently, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, with Concertmaster Noah Geller.
Ms. Grossman was the viola professor at the International Center for Music at Park University in Parkville, MO, from 2013 until 2019. She continues to teach violin and viola privately in Kansas City.
In January 2018, Ms. Grossman was featured as an “Artist to Watch” in KC Studio Magazine. Recent collaborations include performances with Ensemble Iberica in Kansas City, Ecco Chamber Orchestra (based in New York City), and the Nu Deco Ensemble in Miami, FL.
