Belmont University School of Music
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2026
7:30 P.M. MCAFEE CONCERT HALL
Belmont University School of Music presents
Belmont Camerata
Andante cantbile ma pero con moto
Allegro quasi doppio movimento (1841
About the Performers
Hailed by Fanfare Magazine as a “violinist of outstanding technical accomplishment and exceptional musical talent,” Boris Abramov has cultivated a distinguished career as a soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue. An alumnus of the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University, Abramov studied under the tutelage of the renowned pedagogue Sergiu Schwartz. Abramov’s early professional trajectory was marked by significant competition success, including top honors at the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Competition and a special prize at the 2009 Pablo de Sarasate International Competition. In 2021, his alma mater recognized his continued commitment to artistic and service excellence with the prestigious Young Alumni Award.
Abramov’s international performing career includes solo engagements with the Jerusalem Festival, Columbus, and Verde Valley Sinfonietta Orchestras, complemented by recitals across Europe and the United States. A prolific chamber musician, Abramov has collaborated with esteemed artists such as Carmine Miranda, Elzbieta Tokarska,
Alexander Kobrin, and Maxim Rysanov, performing at the Killington and Montecito Music Festivals and the Homecoming Chamber Music Festival in Moscow. Abramov's debut album, Mozart and Beethoven duets with renowned cellist Carmine Miranda, earned a Silver Medal at the Global Music Awards and a nomination for a Hollywood Music in Media Award.
In addition to his solo and chamber music careers, Abramov is a seasoned orchestral leader, having served as Principal Second Violin of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra from 2014 to 2023. He maintains an active presence in the American orchestral landscape, performing with ensembles such as the Nashville Opera and the Jacksonville, Alabama, and Charleston Symphonies. As an educator, Abramov serves on the string faculty of Belmont University and frequently conducts seminars and masterclasses at institutions in the United States and Europe. Abramov performs on a 1982 Sergio Peresson violin, crafted in Haddonfield, New Jersey.
American cellist Carmine Miranda is an award-winning soloist, chamber musician, and bestselling recording artist praised by The Strad for his "full command of both instrument and works." Born in Venezuela to Armenian and Italian immigrants, Miranda began his foundation in "El Sistema" under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel and Giuseppe Sinopoli. He later moved to the United States, obtaining a Doctoral Degree in Cello Performance with honors from the University of Cincinnati.
His diverse performance career spans prestigious stages such as Carnegie Hall and Smetana Hall (CZ), as well as television and radio broadcasts, including PBS. As a soloist, he has performed with numerous chamber ensembles and orchestras, including the Caracas Municipal Symphony, Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, South Czech Philharmonic, and Moravian Philharmonic, among many others. A prolific recording artist for the Navona and Centaur labels, he was among the youngest to record the complete Bach Cello Suites and Piatti’s 12 Caprices. His recordings have reached the Billboard Top 50 and surpassed one million Spotify plays, receiving numerous accolades, including six Global Music Award medals.
Miranda is a dedicated scholar and pedagogue who currently serves on the music faculty at Belmont University, where he teaches cello and directs chamber music for strings. In 2016, his research uncovering a melodic code in Robert Schumann’s Cello Concerto was published in The Musical Times, one of the United Kingdom’s oldest musicological journals. A Dogal Strings artist, he performs on a 1987 Mario Gadda cello made in Mantova, Italy.
Yevgeny Yontov has established himself as one of the leading Israeli pianists of his generation. As finalist in the 2017 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition, he received the Prize for Best Performance of Chamber Music, and the Prize for the Best Israeli Pianist. Other international top prizes include gold medals at the Wideman International Piano Competition and Berliner International Music Competition, as well as additional prizes at the Boesendorfer International Piano Competition, the Olga Kern International Piano Competition, and the Pinerolo International Piano Competition, among others.
A founding member of icarus Quartet, an award-winning 2 piano/2 percussion group, from 2015 to 2022, Yontov holds chamber music close to heart. He has performed chamber music across five continents in venues that include Carnegie Hall and the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C. As a soloist, Yontov’s orchestral engagements include numerous orchestras in the United States, and all major Israeli orchestras. His playing can be found on a number of commercial CDs, including his own debut CD, “Schubert: Piano Variations,” released on Naxos Records in 2017, “Big Things,” icarus Quartet’s debut album released on Furious Artisans in 2022, “Samuel Adler: A Celebration of Sam @ 95” released on Toccata Classics in 2022, and “Turning into Song” released on Musica Solis in 2023.
Yontov’s teachers include Ms. Adela Umansky, Prof. Arie Vardi, and Prof. Boris Berman. Yontov holds a D.M.A. from the Yale School of Music. As a teacher himself, Yontov has given masterclasses across the United States, East Asia, and Israel, and, in 2018, he joined the faculty of Bowling Green State University, where he serves as Associate Professor of Piano.
Upcoming Concerts and Events
Frank Gambale, guitar
with Rock Ensemble and Commercial Guitar Ensemble I Friday, April 24, 7:30 p.m.
Massey Concert Hall
Join Belmont University’s College of Music and Performing Arts for Sounds of Belmont: The 36th Annual President’s Concert & Reception on Saturday, April 25th in the Fisher Center at Belmont University. Experience an evening of stories and songs to support our talented students. The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by a festive dessert reception for all guests and performers. The purchase of a ticket to this concert and reception will benefit endowed music and theatre scholarship funds for students in the college. Premier works from the College of Music and Performing Arts Fall 2025-Spring 2026 performance season will be showcased. This concert and reception is celebrating its thirty-sixth year (formerly the President’s Concert and Reception).
Reserve your tickets here.
For more information on upcoming concerts and events, please visit www.belmont.edu/cmpa or “like” Belmont University School of Music on Facebook.
