WHO WE ARE
From differents extremes of the globe (North - Germany / South - Argentina Brazil) and moved by a chain of synchronized moments, two persons cross the step of each other in Summer 2015.
Since then, many chapters were written around life discovery and exploration. Music has been our testimony.
In September 2021, we decided to give birth to a creative shared space.
TORO had it's beginning, exploring research projects in collaboration with dancers, composers, mixing other human and artistical expressions on each presentation.
More then a traditional concert, TORO aims to bring music everywhere it is possible. From a big concert hall until a small living room. We rejoy ourselves with the intimacy, the shared moments and the questions, so that it remains inside of us when going back "home".
Among the future projects, TORO aims to collaborate also with pedagogical projects in different social projects around the globe.
Come, have a seat and let's share a moment together.
Our hug!
Juan María Braceras
Violinist
He began studying the violin at Natal, Brazil, at the age of 11. At 18 years he was hired as the first violin of the Orquestra Sinfônica da Bahia-OSBA, in Salvador. In 2009 he completes the Bachelor's degree at the Haute École de Musique de Genève, where he obtained the diploma with "Distinction" in the class of Margarita Piguet Karafilova and Gabor Takacs for Chamber music. In 2014 he obtains his Master Concert in the class of Adelina Oprean at the Hochschule für Musik Basel. In 2017, he obtains the Soloist Diploma, in Amandine Beyer's class and Adelina Oprean. He participated in several music festivals and Master Classes with great violin pedagogues such as Jean Lenert, Alberto Lysy, Pavel Vernikov, Sidney Hart, Ana Chumachenco and he was a finalist and winner of national competitions for young musicians in Brazil. So far he has performed as a soloist, chamber musician or orchestral musician in more than 42 countries in all continents. He has contributed to the recording of several styles of music, among which Brazilian popular music and also Cuban Afro-jazz, Zamazú. He also actively composed for the group of Tango-Rock-Funk-Techno-Pop fusion, Puchero. He has performed with popular Brazilian singers and instrumentalists such as Caetano Veloso, Carlinhos Brown, Gilberto Gil, Geraldo Azevedo, Sivuca, Alceu Valença, etc. He is in love with contemporary music and has contributed directly with the most diverse creations in Europe and Africa. He also played for more than 8 years in the Mariachi band “Quetzal”. In pedagogy, he taught as an assistant professor, already at the age of 18 at the Universidade Federal da Bahia; as substitute teacher in the pre-professional programs of the Geneva Conservatory of Music; also in Brazil, in the system of young orchestras, Neojiba, for young musicians between 8 and 20 years old; as well as in Kosovo, at the music school in Gjakova; as chamber music coach at the Verbier Festival; and currently, as Violin Professor at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and also as Tango Professor at the mdw - Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien. He founded various orchestras dedicated to the interpretation of works by Latin American composers unknown in Europe as Raíces and Camerata Candela. Currently, he plays with the Orchester de Tango Silencio and the Quintet Tango Sensations. He contributes not only actively with the creation of works of theatre, but also with dance and the choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker and her contemporary dance company, Rosas. Juan María Braceras is supported by Stiftung Pirolo and plays with a Jacques Bocquay, Vieux Paris, 1718.
Nathan Kirzon
Violinist
Nathan Kirzon was born on May 8, 1996 into a family of musicians in Hamburg, Germany. At the age of four Nathan received his first violin lessons at home. From autumn 2006, Nathan was taught by Anton Barakhovsky (first concertmaster of the Bavarian Radio Orchestra). In 2008 Nathan was accepted in the class of prof. Ina Kertscher IFF (Institut zur Früh-Förderung musikalisch Hochbegabte) at the Musikhochschule in Hannover as an exceptional young student. He completed his bachelor's degree in the Music Academy Basel with prof. Adelina Oprean and is currently studying his Master degree with prof. Rainer Schmidt and Claudio Martínez Mehner.
Nathan was awarded first prize at various regional and state competitions „Jugend musiziert“, as well as the „41st Bergedorfer Jugendmusikanten Wettbewerb“, among others. At the age of twelve he was invited to the concert series of the "Nathan Quartett" named after him. Nathan took over the part of the second violin in the quintet by W.A. Mozart in G minor KV 516. There was a great response in the Hamburg press and invitations to TV shows like „TV- Total“ on ProSieben.
In March 2009 Nathan made his debut together with his brother Maurice and the chamber orchestra "Hamburger Solisten" in the EMPORE (Buchholz i. d. N.) with the double concerto by J.S. Bach in D minor. In October 2009 Nathan received a violin by Leopold Widhalm (Nuremberg 2nd half of 18th century) from the German Musical Instrument Fund (Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben). Since 2009 Nathan is a scholarship holder of the Oscar and Vera Ritter Foundation.
In 2018 Nathan debuted as a soloist with the Norddeutsche Sinfonietta and J.S. Bach's Violin Concerto in a-minor. In November 2019 Nathan won a 1st prize with his piano trio 'Flumen' at the international competition "Grand Prize Virtuoso" in Brussels.
Apart from the life as a violinist on stage, he started to get interest in changing the concept of concerts by integrating the audience into the music. With his musical duo named „Toro“, he explores all the possibilities of finding a new format for presenting classical music to the public.
Nathan plays a 1938 Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) master violin by A. A. Ushakov and in October 2019 he became a scholarship recipient of the Pirolo Foundation, which helped him finance the violin.
