Coach Spotlight: Learn More about Andrew Giordano
A native of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Andrew Giordano began playing the violin at the age of five. He recently joined the forward-looking Beo String Quartet as their newest member and violinist. Before joining Beo, he was a founding member and performed with the award-winning Altius Quartet for nine seasons. As a member of Altius, Andrew won several awards and toured internationally in Europe, Asia, and Australia. the Altius Quartet recorded three albums on the Parma Records label: “Dress Code” (a crossover album), “Shostakovich String Quartets Nos 7, 8, and 9,” and “Quadrants Volume 3,” which is comprised of never-recorded works by living composers.
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from Indiana University where he studied with Kathleen Winkler, Federico Agostini, and Koichiro Harada. After graduating from Indiana, he went on to complete his Master of Music degree at Southern Methodist University under the tutelage of the late Emanuel Borok. From 2014-2017, Andrew and the Altius Quartet held the position of Fellowship String Quartet-in-Residence at University of Colorado Boulder and were mentored by the Takács Quartet. While at CU Boulder, Andrew also studied privately with Edward Dusinberre, Károly Schranz and Harumi Rhodes of the Takács Quartet.
In addition to performing, Andrew is a passionate teacher. Now in his eighteenth year of teaching, Andrew has taken several graduate-level pedagogy seminars and Suzuki Method teaching courses. Andrew and his wife Nathália Kato have a private teaching studio together, and actively perform as a violin/piano duo under the name “Duo Pragma.”
We caught up with Andrew to talk about his YC2 experience and what he’s looking forward to for next season!
How long have you been coaching chamber music? I began coaching chamber music for YC2 in October of 2022. I was out of town for their performance in late April, but I got to watch a video of their performance, and was impressed with their high level of playing after watching them gain skill and confidence as a chamber group throughout the year.
Why is chamber music important to you? I was 12 years old when I had my first experience of playing in a string quartet, and from then on I couldn't get enough of playing and performing chamber music! My full-time job is playing violin in the Pittsburgh-based Beo String Quartet, and performing and teaching chamber music is an important way that I connect with people and bring meaning to my life.
What is one of your favorite parts of chamber rehearsals or performances? My favorite thing about coaching chamber music is sharing my musical experience and knowledge with students, and then watching them use my advice and guidance to have a confident, successful performance.
What’s on your music stand right now? Haydn Quartet in G major, Op. 33, No.5 (nicknamed "How do you do") and Smetana String Quartet No. 1 (nicknamed "From My Life")
Do you have a piece of wisdom or advice to share with our YC2 family? I had a teacher in college tell me that the key to becoming a thoughtful, well-rounded musician is to play chamber music, and this has stuck with me. No matter what your life goals or career aspirations, rehearsing and performing chamber music is one of life's great privileges, so sign up for YC2!