Jan Vargas Nedvetsky

Cello Soloist

Winner
2024 Young Artist Concerto Competition

Cellist Jan Vargas Nedvetsky is a Merit Scholarship Fellow at the Academy of the Music Institute of Chicago where he studies cello performance with Hans Jorgen Jensen and Oleksa Mycyk. Jan is a 2023-24 scholarship recipient at the Academy of Music in Liechtenstein where he participates in masterclasses with Jens Peter Maintz and takes part in the intensive music weeks and activities. Previously Jan studied with Gilda Barston, Vladimir Perline, Horacio Contreras, and played in solo masterclasses with Jens Peter Maintz, Richard Aaron, Jerome Pernoo, Lluis Claret, John Sharp, Richard Hirschl, Brannon Cho, Ivan Karizna, Brandon Vamos, and Edward Arron.  

As a solo and chamber performer Jan has won numerous awards in competitions and soloed with orchestras in the US and Europe. In 2023 Jan made his solo debut at Orchestra Hall with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago as a prizewinner of the 2023 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition. In the 2023-24 season Jan has performed in Lake Placid NY; Vaduz, Liechtenstein; Detroit, MI; Washington, DC; Miami, FL, Boise ID, Salmon, ID, and soloed with Central Oregon Symphony Orchestra in Bend, Oregon. Upcoming engagements include solo performance with Lakeview Symphony Orchestra in Chicago and a solo recital in Eschen, Liechtenstein.

Jan was named a 2024 YoungArts Winner with Distinction in Cello Performance, the highest honor of the National YoungArts Foundation. Additionally, Jan won First Prize in the 2024 Lakeview Orchestra Young Artist Concerto Competition, 2023 Central Oregon Concerto Competition, 2022 Society of the American Musicians Competition, 2022 Chicago Chamber Orchestra Concerto Competition, and 2021 Chicago International Music Competition; received multiple awards in the Walgreens National Concerto Competition and DePaul National Concerto Festival; and was a finalist in the 2024 United States Marine Band Concerto Competition and 2024 Sphinx Competition.

With his chamber groups (string quartets and piano trio) Jan was a winner in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 St Paul National String Quartet Competition, 2020 Chicago International Music Competition, 2019 and 2022 Barnett competition, and was a semi-finalist in four consecutive Fischoff National Chamber Music Competitions. He was coached in chamber music masterclasses by Menahem Pressler, Ivri Gitlis, Mathias Tacke, Sang Mee Lee, Paul Zafer, Jasmin Lin, Leipzig, Talich and Prazak string quartets.

Jan participated in the 2016-2021 Musica Mundi International Chamber Music Festivals in Waterloo, Belgium and 2022, 2023 Meadowmount School of Music in Westport, NY. He was featured in ABC and WTTW television programs, WFMT Classical Radio, and TV Com Belgium. His upcoming solo recital on WFMT Chicago Classical Radio is anticipated in September 2024.

In the summer of 2024 Jan will be attending Gstaad Menuhin String Academy in Gstaad, Switzerland and a Chamber Music Intensive at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Jan is an 11th grader at the North Atlantic Regional High School. In addition to performing and composing music, Jan pursues advanced studies in literature and economics.