Neal Kotamarty Eisfeldt, 12, is a Chicago Music Pathways Initiative (CMPI) scholarship recipient, a prestigious initiative for gifted musicians throughout the US, with exceptional ability in the field of classical music. He started learning violin at the age of 3 at the Betty Haag Academy of Music and currently studies with the eminent violin pedagogue Almita Vamos (Julliard) Music Institute of Chicago, eminent musician Roland Vamos, and Injoo Choi of MIC as well.
He has had master classes with renowned musicians namely Augustine Hadelich, James Ehnes, Julia Fischer, Rachel Barton Pine, and Philip Setzer.
Neal made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 10 winning first place at the Crescendo International Music Competition two years in a row and got selected for the International Student Exchange program (SEP) to Italy, Japan to perform with students from the most prestigious music schools and universities around the world. He was also selected for the Virtuosi Summer Academy (2020) for young virtuoso musicians with exceptional capability by Ryan Meehan and Gabriela Fahnenstiel
He made his solo orchestral debut with Midwest Philharmonic Orchestra (postponed due to Covid-19) and studies orchestral music with Taka Matsunaga of the Midwest Philharmonic Orchestra. playing pieces such as the Smetana, Vltava (Die Moldau) from Má vlast, Borodin, Polovtsian Dances, Ravel, Ma Mère L' oye (Mother Goose), Rachmaninoff, Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27 (complete), and the Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 “Pathétique”.
He has won first places and honorable mentions with Distinction in several competitions such as Society of American Musicians, Sejong Music Competition, Granquist Geneva Music competition, DePaul Violin Competition at the Concerto Festival, Midwest Young Artists Music Competition, the Confucius Music Competition, and the American Music Institute.
Outside of playing violin, Neal enjoys listening to his favorite violinist maestro Itzhak Perlman and reading about historical classical musicians such as Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky, and several others. He also enjoys playing duets with his father, a violinist with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, watching movies, playing chess with his grandfather, and spending time with his sister.
2)Tambourin Chinois Op 3, Fritz Kreisler, 3:38
