Victor S. — Professeur de piano — Côte-des-Neiges, Montréal

In constant search for creative inspiration, Victor Nigri’s education was drawn from various multicultural, preeminent academic environments. He began his studies in Brazil, where he graduated from Minas Gerais State University with a Bachelor of Music, guided by Dr. Heron Alvim. In the United States, he completed with honors two degrees in performance at The Hartt School: a Graduate Professional Diploma and a Master’s degree, studying with both Luiz de Moura Castro and Dr. David Westfall. Currently, Victor lives in Montreal, Canada, where he pursued a Doctorate in Piano at the University of Montreal under the tutelage of Paul Stewart. Throughout his scholastic journey, he has received various talent scholarships which fully supported his studies. Victor has performed in both solo and chamber music recitals throughout the Americas and Europe, in venues such as Merkin Concert Hall in New York, New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut, and Palácio das Artes in Minas Gerais. He also has taken part in diverse festivals, including the Campos do Jordão International Winter Festival in Brazil and the Óbidos Piano Festival in Portugal, where he worked with world-renowned pianists such as Yefim Bronfman, Paul Badura-Skoda, Anna Malikova and Josep Colom. Moreover, Victor has won several awards in music competitions; besides being distinguished with an Honorable Prize for “Best Performance of Brazilian Music” at the VII Maestro Spartacco Rossi Piano Competition, he was a top prizewinner at both the XXII Souza Lima and IX Cora Pavan Capparelli competitions, as well as the winner of the first Bach Festival Piano Competition at the University of Connecticut. Aside from his performance pursuits, Victor Nigri is a dedicated pedagogue, having taught master classes and adjudicated competitions in the United States and abroad. His teaching schedule includes students from all ages and backgrounds, many of whom are competition winners, professional musicians and performers themselves.

My teaching philosophy: As a trained Suzuki teacher, I believe the most important objective in piano lessons is nurturing a lifelong love for music. To cultivate a student’s passion for music, I constantly strive to foster excellence in both myself as a teacher and my students as performers. This includes refining the ear for a good tone, critical thinking about how to practice, and perhaps most importantly, the understanding that all music expresses an emotional state or reaction—it is a communication through another language. With the right orientation and a nurturing, caring environment, every student has the potential to develop their musical abilities and achieve excellence. Ultimately, I want my students to grow into a sensitive human being—someone shaped by the beauty of art; an insightful, kind person.