Dr. Tomás Cotik - International Violin Soloist and Chamber Musician, Professor at Portland State University
Hailed by Michael Tilson Thomas as “an excellent violinist”, Tomás Cotik is internationally recognized as a soloist, chamber musician, and professor. A much sought-after recording artist, Dr. Cotik has released fifteen CD recordings for Naxos and Centaur Records, which have received over two hundred enthusiastic reviews and over two million Spotify streams. Committed to passing on his passion for music, Dr. Cotik is the violin professor at Portland State University.
Tomás Cotik's discography includes complete opuses by Bach, Mozart, Schubert, and his own arrangements of music by his countryman, Astor Piazzolla. These releases have garnered him the highest acclaim from the best-known publications. Gramophone Magazine writes, " joyful virtuosity and stylish musicianship that Tomás Cotik brought to superb cycle of Schubert's violin-and-piano works…happily permeate ...most rewarding Mozart cycle…. There are so many delightful details to savour that one hardly knows where to begin."
Committed to passing on his passion for music, Dr. Tomás Cotik was promoted to Associate Professor of Violin at Portland State University in 2021. He also recently received the inaugural Dean's Council Award for Research, Scholarship & Creativity for his significant contributions to research, scholarship, and creative activity at the international level. He previously taught at West Texas A&M University, Florida International University, and at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music. Dr. Cotik regularly holds masterclasses at universities and conferences worldwide and has participated in more than 20 international music festivals, most recently at the Round Top Music Festival and the Miami Classical Music Festival.
In the work with his students, Tomás emphasizes a natural approach to the instrument, providing tools to avoid unnecessary physical tensions. He also encourages an in-depth confrontation and understanding historical performance praxis and the styles of different composers. His dozens of articles on his teaching philosophy, string pedagogy, and interpretation have been published by The Strad, the American String Teacher Association Journal, American Music Teacher Magazine, and the National Association for Music Education Magazine. Tomás’s ultimate goal is to guide his students to cultivate, develop, and further their own artistic visions and professional dreams.
Tomás Cotik's discography includes complete opuses by Bach, Mozart, Schubert, and his own arrangements of music by his countryman, Astor Piazzolla. These releases have garnered him the highest acclaim from the best-known publications. Gramophone Magazine writes, " joyful virtuosity and stylish musicianship that Tomás Cotik brought to superb cycle of Schubert's violin-and-piano works…happily permeate ...most rewarding Mozart cycle…. There are so many delightful details to savour that one hardly knows where to begin."
Committed to passing on his passion for music, Dr. Tomás Cotik was promoted to Associate Professor of Violin at Portland State University in 2021. He also recently received the inaugural Dean's Council Award for Research, Scholarship & Creativity for his significant contributions to research, scholarship, and creative activity at the international level. He previously taught at West Texas A&M University, Florida International University, and at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music. Dr. Cotik regularly holds masterclasses at universities and conferences worldwide and has participated in more than 20 international music festivals, most recently at the Round Top Music Festival and the Miami Classical Music Festival.
In the work with his students, Tomás emphasizes a natural approach to the instrument, providing tools to avoid unnecessary physical tensions. He also encourages an in-depth confrontation and understanding historical performance praxis and the styles of different composers. His dozens of articles on his teaching philosophy, string pedagogy, and interpretation have been published by The Strad, the American String Teacher Association Journal, American Music Teacher Magazine, and the National Association for Music Education Magazine. Tomás’s ultimate goal is to guide his students to cultivate, develop, and further their own artistic visions and professional dreams.