It’s rare to meet an eighteen-year-old student who has just soloed with an orchestra, has performed all over Europe, genuinely likes economics, and enjoys reading what he calls “heavy literature” by authors like Dostoevsky, all while being humble, courteous, and kind. CMPI cello fellow Jan Vargas-Nedvetsky is certainly gifted musically, but also evokes a sense of authentic humanity.
Jan is a longtime fellow at The Academy of the Music Institute of Chicago, where he has excelled as a soloist and chamber musician. Other recent accomplishments include a Liechtenstein Music Academy scholarship, participating in the esteemed Gstaad Menuhin String Academy in 2024, serving as a From the Top fellow this past year, and being a Young Arts 2024 Winner with Distinction. He is also one of the founders of Musicians for Hope, an organization that helps to raise money for public school music programs.
Just this week, Jan had the honor of performing Dvořák’s entire cello concerto with the Northbrook Symphony under the baton of Mina Zikri. Jan has played with orchestra before – including performing an entire Haydn concerto with Maestro Zikri and the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago – but this was his first time preparing such a long and complex work for performance. On top of that, he also found out this week that he won the cello division of the DePaul Concerto Competition for Young Performers and will be performing again with orchestra in the next few months.
While most CMPI senior fellows are frantically practicing for college auditions, Jan is one of the fortunate few who has already completed the college audition process. He applied early decision to Northwestern and was accepted into the studio of eminent teacher Hans Jørgen Jensen. “I’ve been studying with Hans for three years and I really love the way he teaches. I think he is the best fit for me, so I decided to continue studying with him at Northwestern,” he reflects. In addition, he looks forward to the wide range of other classes offered at Northwestern and may even take some economics classes for fun!
When embarking on the college audition process Jan was advised to, “aim for where you really want to go but don’t make that your only option.” It all worked out for Jan, but if he had to do it all again, he says he would have applied to more safety schools simply to reduce stress and unnecessary worry.
Jan’s best advice for other CMPI fellows who are preparing for auditions or performances is to avoid what he calls “stress practicing.” You simply cannot procrastinate and then try to fix all your mistakes right before an audition or performance. This is especially true when you are preparing significant repertoire before an audition or for a competition or large-scale performance. It’s physically impossible to run an entire concerto or set of pieces and expect to fix up all the problem spots last minute. He emphasizes the need to be secure in your practice, and confident that you have done the work.
While Jan gained valuable insights on the opening of Dvořák’s cello concerto at his recent CMPI masterclass with Johannes Moser, the CMPI activity that had the most meaning to him was the opening gathering of seniors this year. It was comforting to meet other fellows in the exact same place who were dealing with the same stresses, worries, and on the same trajectory. It also helped spur him to think through the stages of his college application process, such as when to focus on the more mundane aspects of college applications like essays and paperwork.
Jan dreams of being accepted to the soloist program at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, but for now he is preparing for his upcoming engagements and will spend his time learning new repertoire before college starts. We are sure that he will continue to be successful as he embarks on his career and look forward to his future performances.
Images
Jan’s headshot