An artist defined by the critics as “…tender, lyrical, loaded with personality” (Atlanta Journal Constitution, Pierre Ruhe), violist Juan-Miguel Hernandez is also recognized for drawing “…the sweetest, most sonorous tone…” (Washington Post, Charles T. Downey). In September 2009, Juan-Miguel won the first Prize at the 16th International Johannes Brahms Competition, for which he is delighted to join as a juror for the 2017 edition, in Austria, adding to other top prizes won at the National Canadian Music Competition, and the 9th National Sphinx Competition in 2006, presented by JPMorgan Chase. As a featured guest soloist, Juan-Miguel has appeared with the Atlanta, Seattle, Colorado Symphonies, as well as the Rochester Philharmonic and the Chicago Sinfonietta. Performances in recent seasons have brought Juan-Miguel on tour throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, South America, Canada and the United States. In 2010, he was honored with the medal of the National Assembly of Quebec.
Juan-Miguel has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Lynn Harrell, Kim Kashkashian, Gérard Caussé, Nicolas Dautricourt, Misha Dichter, the Weilerstein trio as well as Jazz living legends Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Stanley Clark and Paquito D’Rivera. Recent festival and program appearances as guest artist and teacher include the Festival Pablo Casal (Prades, France), the Festival Des Arcs (France), the Amalfi Coast Music Festival (Italy), Orford Academy (Canada), Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival (South Africa), the Salzburg Festival, the Brevard Summer Institute, the Mozaic Festival, Festicamara (Colombia), Montreal Jazz & Panama Jazz Festivals and Musica Mundi International Festival (Belgium).
A dedicated chamber musician, Juan-Miguel is the newest member of the legendary Fine Arts Quartet and a founding member of the Harlem Quartet with whom he performed from 2006 to 2012. Juan-Miguel is also a founder and member of the “Trio Virado” (Flute, Viola, Guitar) as well as the “Boreal Trio” (Clarinet, Viola, Piano), both specializing in the creation of new repertoire. From 2005 to 2010, he was also an active member of the I Palpiti orchestra, a cast of international laureates forming a world class string orchestra based in Los Angeles. The 2017 summer season saw his return with the I Palpiti orchestra, this time as soloist, performing Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in Disney Hall (Los Angeles), and the Mozarteum’s Solitaire Hall (Salzburg).
On radio airwaves and television broadcasts, Juan-Miguel has been heard and seen on nationally-syndicated programs throughout Canada, and the United States including NBC’s Good Morning America, The Today Show and the Telemundo Network. His discography includes four quartet CDs, released on the Naxos, Cedille records, the White Pine and Navona labels as well as multiple collaborations on various other labels including the album “Hot House” playing alongside Chick Corea and Gary Burton for which they won a Grammy, as well as Norah Jones’ album “Broken Little Hearts”. Fall of 2015 saw the release of Trio Virado’s debut album, “Mangabeira”, featuring music by Piazzolla, Leo Brouwer and original music by Sergio Assad.
His strong commitment to educate and engage new audiences all around the globe have brought him to reach young musicians and various communities through art convoys in South Africa and Venezuela, various music festivals in South America and outreach projects in Europe and North America. In the Fall of 2016 Juan-Miguel was appointed to the faculty of the prestigious Royal Academy of Music (London) as Professor of Viola.
Juan-Miguel Hernandez was born in Montreal, Canada in 1985 and began studying the violin at age seven, then switched to viola at age twelve under the tutelage of Jean McRae. He received his Bachelor degree from the Colburn Conservatory in 2010 studying with Paul Coletti and Graduate Diploma in the Professional String Quartet program in 2012 with Paul Katz at the New England Conservatory, working privately with Kim Kashkashian and Dimitri Murrath. He also worked before Pinchas Zukerman, Roberto Diaz, Paul Neubauer, Karen Tuttle, Steven Dann, James Dunham, Barbara Westphal and Robert Vernon.
Juan-Miguel plays a beautiful 2008 Miralles viola from Altadena CA.