About Juan
Since moving to the area fourteen years ago from his native country of Venezuela, Juan Jaramillo has become one of the most sought-after freelance Pittsburgh violinists. He currently plays with a number of professional ensembles in the region including the Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, and the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, where he is the assistant principal second violin. He was the Acting Associate Concertmaster of the Britt Music Festival in 2009 and also served as the Acting Assistant Principal Second in 2010. He has performed extensively in solo and chamber music recitals throughout the United States, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela.
In 2005, Mr. Jaramillo received his Artist Diploma Degree from Duquesne University under the instruction of Mr. Sidney Harth, former concertmaster of the prestigious Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago Symphony Orchestras. Previously, he earned a Master's Degree from Penn State University and a Bachelor's Degree from Duquesne, with full scholarships to both institutions. During his studies, he won the concerto competition at both schools, performing the Khachaturian and Sibelius concertos respectively.
Additionally, Mr. Jaramillo has played with many premier musical ensembles including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota Opera, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Mendelssohn Choir, Bach Choir, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and Key West Symphony Orchestra. He has also participated in several summer festivals including Des Moines Metro Opera, San Miguel de Allende Chamber Music Festival, Deep Creek Summer Festival and Sunflower Music Festival. This Pittsburgh violinist has performed with international artists such as Smokey Robinson, The Moody Blues, Ray Charles, Bernadette Peters, Vince Gill, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Ray Price, The Manhattan Transfer, and Marvin Hamlisch. In addition to performing, Mr. Jaramillo enjoys teaching and actively participates in community outreach for the arts.