Play It Forward – Nate Strothkamp
Music that inspires one of All Classical Portland’s Youth Artist Ambassadors, Nate Strothkamp.
Meet Violinist, Nate Strothkamp. A recent graduate of the Oregon Episcopal School and one of All Classical Portland’s Youth Artist Ambassadors for 2022.
We recently asked Nate what pieces of music have inspired him to become the musician he is today. Here are a few of Nate’s selections.
Richard Strauss, Der Rosenkavalier Suite
“For me, this piece covers almost the entire spectrum of emotions. I never tire of listening to this performance, especially the waltz section and the climax.”
Edwin Grasse, Wellenspiel
“This piece introduced me to an entirely new world of color. Perlman’s performance demonstrates how our imagination is limitless and we have the ability to create new, unique sounds with our instrument.”
Benjamin Britten, Sinfonia da Requiem
“I performed this piece during the summer of 2019 at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and one audience member approached me afterwards to tell me that it was one of the most moving performances he had seen. That was one of the first times I realized how the music I perform can impact other people.”
Jesse Montgomery, Rhapsody No.1 for Solo Violin
“This composition was one of the first 21st century pieces I learned. It introduced me to the world of modern music and sparked my interest in learning and listening to repertoire that is not commonly played.”
Sergei Rachmaninoff, Trio élégiaque No.2 in D Minor
“This trio is the reason why the piano trio is my favorite form of chamber music. Even though there are only three instruments, Rachmaninoff somehow makes them sound like an entire orchestra.”
About Nate
Nate Strothkamp is a violinist from Portland, OR. A current student of Carol Sindell, Nate has appeared as a soloist with the Oregon Symphony and Beaverton Symphony Orchestra. Nate was one of seven national finalists in both the 2021 and 2022 iterations of the MTNA Senior String Performance competition, after winning first place at the State and Division rounds. He also won first place in the Teen Strings category of the Music International Grand Prix competition. Nate served as co-concertmaster of the Portland Youth Philharmonic, and is dedicated to pursuing equitable music education through his work as executive director of Project Prelude, a student-led organization providing free violin instruction to elementary students from economically disadvantaged schools in Beaverton. Additionally, he co-founded Musicians for Equality, an organization that promotes inclusivity and representation in the classical music industry. Nate is a recent graduate of the Oregon Episcopal School, and this year, Nate will continue academic and musical studies as a freshman at Yale University.
Hear Nate’s Episode of On Deck with Young Musicians from November 7th, 2020.