A life in music

About Richard Amoroso.

I began playing violin at four, joined The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1998, and have spent my life learning how one clear adjustment can change the way a player hears—and plays—a phrase.

Work With Me 1-on-1
Richard Amoroso playing violin, shown as a background-free photographic cutout

My story

How I Got Here.

From my father’s cello to my first stage with the Orchestra, music became part of daily life long before it became a career.

  1. 1975

    Wanting to be like Dad.

    I started violin in 1975 after watching my father practice cello and wanting an instrument of my own. When he brought home a violin small enough for me, I played “Twinkle Twinkle” that same day.

    Richard playing violin at age four
  2. 1976–Present

    The music was all around me.

    My father filled our home with symphonic music. I took lessons, played the first-grade Christmas concert, and performed for visitors at my grandparents’ shops. These early moments taught me what it felt like to play for people—especially the day I was five, standing beside my dad as we played together at my aunt’s wedding.

    Richard playing violin at his aunt’s wedding at age five
    Richard playing at his aunt’s wedding, age five.
  3. March 1983

    More purpose, not endless hours.

    I practiced daily, but not for hours. Around eleven, I began making better use of the time I had. I was learning that attention and efficiency mattered as much as repetition. In March 1983, I won the Greenfield Competition.

    Young Richard with a violin in an undated archival color photograph
  4. April 1984

    Performed as Soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra

    In April 1984, I performed Mozart’s Fourth Violin Concerto with The Philadelphia Orchestra. It was an early glimpse of the work that would eventually become my life.

    Archival photograph of young Richard performing with his violin Newspaper clipping about The Philadelphia Orchestra student auditions in the early 1980s

The crossroads

The path was never a straight line.

  1. April 1985

    Music stayed with me.

    I studied with Norman Carol and played in chamber groups and the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. In April 1985, I played the Bach Double Violin Concerto with Norman Carol, Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra. I loved music, even while I was still figuring out whether it could be my profession.

    Newspaper photograph of Richard Amoroso and Norman Carol performing the Bach Concerto for Two Violins
    Richard Amoroso and Norman Carol performing the Bach Concerto for Two Violins.
  2. May 1992

    A route that was not straight.

    I attended Villanova before transferring to Dickinson College, where I completed my degree in Economics followed by a Music Ed Certificate from Immaculata University. My path was not a conventional conservatory story—and for a while I was unsure what came next.

    Richard at his Dickinson College graduation
  3. 1994

    One question changed the direction.

    While working as a substitute band teacher, a student heard me practicing and encouraged me. I asked my father if it was too late to pursue the violin professionally. He told me to go for it. I immediately changed my path from music education to music performance putting in hours of practice.

    Richard and his father holding their instruments

The auditions

Choosing to go for it.

  1. 1994–1997

    My own version of music school

    I studied with Herb Greenberg, William dePasquale, Rafael Druian, and David Arben, and practiced in ways I never had before. I was also working for Concerto Soloists and subbing with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

    Richard holding his violin beside a piano during his years of musical study
  2. Summer 1997

    Making room for the goal.

    I left Concerto Soloists to go all in and focus on audition preparation. It was a calculated gamble: fewer gigs, more time to do the work I knew the next step required.

    Collage of orchestral audition repertoire, sheet music, and musician magazine pages
  3. October 21, 1997

    The Philadelphia Orchestra.

    I became a member of the First Violin Section of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Winning this audition was the result of years of listening, learning, persistence, and practice—not a straight-line career plan.

    Richard Amoroso portrait from The Philadelphia Orchestra profile
    Philadelphia Orchestra profile portrait.

The stage and studio

The work keeps opening up.

  1. 2004

    A return to Carnegie Hall.

    I returned to Carnegie Hall for a solo recital. Performance continued to remind me that musical ideas need both preparation and the freedom to be heard in the moment.

    Later photograph of Richard Amoroso playing violin in an ArtistWorks lesson
  2. 2007–2008

    A new orchestral perspective.

    I served as Acting Assistant Concertmaster for the 2007–08 season. That role sharpened my sense of listening, responsibility, and communication inside the ensemble.

    Later still from Richard’s ArtistWorks teaching profile
  3. Today

    Passing the work forward.

    I bring what I have learned on stage into the studio: listen closely, identify the actual obstacle, and make one useful adjustment at a time. That is still the work I love to share that lights a fire in my students.

    Richard Amoroso in the later portrait from his original My Story gallery

The next chapter

Now That You Know How I Got Here…

I know what it feels like to hit a wall, work without a clear plan, and wonder whether the next level is possible. My work with you starts by hearing what is actually happening—and finding a specific next step that fits your playing.

Let’s Work Together