Belmont University School of Music
Belmont University School of Music
presents Faculty Recital:
Mark Godwin featuring Carmine Miranda, cello Paulo Oliveira, guitar
Etude in C major, Op. 140 , No. 4
Andante in A minor from Suite 21
MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2026 7:30 P.M.
HARTON RECITAL HALL
Serenade in C major for Cello and Guitar
Mark Godwin has taught private and ensemble guitar instruction at David Lipscomb University, University of Alabama, and Tennessee Tech University. He currently performs in the GodwinThompson Classical Guitar Duo and as guitarist and lutenist for the Early Music Consort of David Lipscomb University.
Godwin has performed and toured with several Nashville artists including Colin Raye, Deborah Burns, Barbara Allen, Kate Campbell, the Claimstakers, Floating Men, Kim Gold, and Brett James. Before moving to Nashville, Godwin was the principal guitarist for the Alabama Symphony Pops Orchestra where he performed with Guest Artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Roger Williams, Marvin Hamlish, Gladys Knight, Bob Hope, and Nancy Wilson. He also performed for the Town and Gown Theatre, Birmingham Festival Theatre, and Summerfest. Godwin has extensive studio experience recording songwriter demos, commercial jingles, and album/CD projects for various writers and artists in the Nashville Area.
His latest recording, Faith and Love, is available at Bandcamp.com. Videos are available on YouTube at Mark Godwin Guitar.
American cellist Dr. Carmine Miranda has established an award-winning international career and recognition as a soloist, chamber musician and a best-selling recording artist. Praised by many publications such as Fanfare Magazine for “fast becoming known for his ability to combine virtuosity with intense, well-thought-out interpretations” and by The Strad Magazine for "showing himself to be in full command of both instrument and works", Miranda’s performances and recordings have appeared in some of the finest concert halls, music festivals, radio and TV stations, as well as PBS affiliated stations all over the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia.
Born in Venezuela to Armenian and Italian immigrants, Miranda began his musical studies at the Latin-American Academy of Violoncello and the Simon Bolivar Conservatory of Music (the institution that spawned the famous “El Sistema”) where he was a member of the National Youth Orchestra and the Orchestra of Beethoven under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel and Giuseppe Sinopoli. In the United States, he continued his musical education obtaining a doctoral degree in cello performance with honors and a chamber music cognate from the University of Cincinnati.
As an avid soloist, he has performed with several chamber ensembles and orchestras including: Caracas Municipal Symphony, Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, South Czech Philharmonic, Moravian Philharmonic, among many others. Miranda has also performed in prominent concert
halls and music festivals in the United States and around the world including: Carnegie Hall, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, Maurice Gusman Concert Hall, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Smetana Hall (CZ), Aula Magna Hall (VE), International Český Krumlov Music Festival, Parma Music Festival, Bowdoin Music Festival, Close Encounters with Music Series in Great Barrington, NY and many more. Carmine has also collaborated with internationally acclaimed artists such as Yehuda Hanani, Muneko Otani, Tracy Silverman, Awadagin Pratt, Rodolfo Saglimbeni, Yuriy Yanko, Mario Košík, Petr Vronský, composer Judith Shatin, Spanish composer Luis Serrano Alarcón and Grammy nominated composer Michael Hoppé.
He has participated in several music competitions as a soloist and chamber musician winning several recognitions and awards at a national and international level. Among them include: Coral Gables Music Club Award for “Best Instrumentalist”, first prize winner of the 2005 Alhambra Music Competition, 2005-2006 National Orchestra Award for “Best Soloist” from the Florida Music Educators Association, winner of the 08-09 University of Cincinnati Cello Competition, Distinguished Award from the 2012 IBLA International Competition, “Three Gold”, “Two Silver” and “One Bronze” Medals from the 2014, 2017 and 2023 Global Music Awards for: "Best Of Show (GMA's highest honor), Best Emerging Artist, Best Instrumentalist and Best Classical Recording", two Hollywood Music in Media Awards nominations (2015 and 2016), and also a laureate of Fischoff, Concert Artist Guild and Hudson Valley Competitions.
Several of Miranda’s recordings have become number one classical bestsellers on retailers such as Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com and iTunes. His recording of the Dvorak and Schumann Cello Concerti charted in the Billboard top 50 classical recordings with over one million Spotify plays. At the age of twenty-two and twenty-three, Miranda recorded the Six Cello Suites by Johann Sebastian Bach under the label Centaur Records and Alfredo Piatti’s 12 Caprices for Solo Cello under the label Navona Records, joining the ranks of the youngest in the world to record these entire works. In 2013 Carmine completed the United States premiere of Nikita Koshkin's L'istesso Tempo composition for cello and guitar and in 2015 completed a world premiere recording of Yves Ramette’s Sonata for Cello and Piano. He was also selected to represent the University of Cincinnati as a soloist for a multi-state American tour with the CCM Wind Orchestra culminating with an opening night performance at the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) National Conference in North Carolina’s Aycock Auditorium.
As a scholar and academic, Carmine Miranda joined the music faculty at Belmont University in 2019 where he teaches cello and chamber music. He is regularly invited to conduct masterclasses as a professor and lecturer at some of the finest institutions and music festivals around the world. In 2016 he wrote a compelling article published in one of the oldest musicological journals in the U.K. (The Musical Times, London, Spring 2016) where he uncovered a code written by Robert Schumann in his Cello Concerto. Likewise, Carmine is the president and founder of the independent electronic music label and production company RLU Records, equally skilled as an electronic and dance music composer, producer and DJ under the pseudonym “45trona Ut”. Currently Carmine Miranda is a Dogal USA artist and plays on a 2005 Jules Azzi cello made in New York City, on Dogal’s Montagnana strings handmade in Venice, Italy.
Website: www.carminemiranda.com
Dr. Paulo Oliveira is a Brazilian-born guitarist, composer, and educator whose work bridges Brazilian traditions, classical, jazz, and contemporary guitar. He is the Coordinator of Guitar Studies at Belmont University in Nashville, where he guides a large and diverse cohort of guitar majors through applied study, improvisation, ensemble performance, and career-minded topics in music business. Oliveira’s teaching emphasizes musicianship, deep knowledge of the instrument, stylistic versatility, and professional readiness connecting academic study to real-world experiences.
Oliveira earned his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Colorado Boulder, following degrees from the University of Missouri and Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul, with earlier training at the Escola Municipal de Música de São Paulo. He is a prizewinner at competitions including the Villa-Lobos Conservatory and the Emerging Artists/Ekstrand Competitions, and he has appeared at renowned festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival (USA) and the Campos do Jordão Winter Festival (Brazil).
As a performer and collaborator, Oliveira has worked with leading artists across genres, such as Christian McBride, Randy Brecker, Chester Thompson, Jeff Coffin, John Clayton, Sean Jones, and Mike Mainieri. He has three books published and his artistry and pedagogy have been featured in Fingerstyle Guitar Journal, including some of his original arrangements.
His recent projects include recording and cross-border collaborations linking Nashville and São Paulo, reflecting his commitment to international exchange and to showcasing Brazilian music within contemporary settings. His latest EP was released in 2025 and can be found HERE
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.
