Described as an “excellent soloist” of “great virtuosity” (NY Concert Review), delivering “thrilling” performances (Boston Globe), Venezuelan violinist Rubén Rengel is quickly gaining recognition as a remarkably gifted artist. Rubén was the winner of the Robert F. Smith Prize at the 2018 Sphinx Competition, the Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition (2014), recipient of the Sallie Shepherd Perkins Prize (2019) and the Anna Y. Tringas Award (2013), and winner of the Juan Bautista Plaza National Violin Competition of Venezuela (2011).

He has appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Vermont Symphony, Venezuela Symphony, among others. As an avid chamber musician, he has collaborated with Joseph Silverstein, Pamela Frank, Peter Wiley, David Shifrin, Joel Krosnick, Timothy Eddy, and Gilbert Kalish. Rubén is a former member of the Autana Trio, prize winners at the 2015 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.

Rubén has attended music festivals such as Music@Menlo, Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, the Perlman Music Program, the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Meadowmount School of Music, and the New York String Orchestra Seminar.

In addition to classical music, Rubén has extensive experience performing Venezuelan folk music and Jazz. This has allowed him to develop important abilities in the area of improvisation, and he has recorded and toured with distinguished Venezuelan ensembles. He also has a strong interest in conducting and enjoys performing as a violist.

Community engagement and education are important components in Rubén’s activities. He has participated in programs with Street Symphony, the Sphinx Organization, the Cleveland School of the Arts, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Shepherd School of Music, Music@Menlo, and the Perlman Music Program. Rubén has taught master classes at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Longy School of Music of Bard College, and was teaching assistant of Jan Mark Sloman, Patricia McCarty, and Kathryn Lucktenberg at the Meadowmount School of Music.

Rubén is currently an Ensemble Connect Fellow at Carnegie Hall. Rubén earned a PS at the Manhattan School of Music as a student of Mark Steinberg, a MM at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University as a student of Paul Kantor, and a BM at the Cleveland Institute of Music as a student of Jaime Laredo. Rubén’s previous education was centered at the Emil Friedman Conservatory and School in Caracas, where he studied with Iván Pérez Núñez. Rubén is a Kun Shoulder Rest
Featured Artist.