About Us
Nola String Quartet
The Nola String Quartet is one of the most sought after Louisiana based ensembles for wedding ceremony music, corporate events, and parties. Performing from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, the group presents classical music as well as original arrangements of popular non-classical songs, bringing a level of artistry and professionalism that your guests are sure to notice.
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Meet our musicians
Rafael Galvan-Herrera
Violin
Violinist, Rafael Galvan-Herrera, began his studies at the age of 8 in Xalapa, Mexico and went on to earn his Bachelor in Music from the Universidad Veracruzana where he studied with Emmanuel Arias and a Master of Arts-Music from the Florida International University studying violin with Marcia Littley de Arias and chamber music with the Amernet Quartet. Subsequently he earned a second Master of Music degree from the Montclair State University where he studied with Yi-Wen Jiang (violin) and chamber music with the world famous Shanghai Quartet. Rafael has performed as principal violinist of the Orquesta Sinfonica Juvenil del Estado de Veracruz in Mexico as well as concertmaster of the Florida International University Orchestra, Montclair State University Symphony Orchestra, and Louisiana State University Symphony Orchestra. In 2010, as a member of the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, Rafael performed in New York’s Carnegie Hall. An avid chamber musician, Rafael has performed all over the world including tours of Mexico, Spain, Austria, and the USA. In 2011, Rafael was awarded a full fellowships to attend the prestigious National Orchestra Institute at the University of Maryland. Currently, Rafael is pursuing his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at Louisiana State University, where he is part of Espen Lilleslatten’s violin studio and is a member of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra as well as a regular guest performer with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.
Deborah Ribeiro
Violin
Brazilian violinist, Deborah Ribeiro, has been an avid recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestral player since a young age. At the age of 11 she won the opportunity to go on her first international tour with the Paraiba Youth Orchestra where she performed a series of concerts throughout the United States, and most recently performed with the Baton Rouge Symphony and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, both in Louisiana. Deborah earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music from the Nicholls State University, followed by a Master of Music Performance degree from the Louisiana State University, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the Louisiana State University under the guidance of Professor Espen Lilleslatten.
Christopher Lowry
Viola
Hailing from Nashville, Christopher Lowry is emerging as one of the leading violists and composers of his generation. He is currently in his fourth season as Assistant Principal Violist of the Baton Rouge Symphony and his third season as Principal Violist of the Acadiana Symphony. In addition, he often performs as substitute violist with the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Rapides Symphony, the Nashville String Machine, and the Nashville Music Scoring Orchestra.
Christopher holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music and a Master of Music degree from Louisiana State University, where he is currently working towards his Doctorate Degree. His primary viola teachers have included Elias Goldstein, Kathryn Plummer, and Mary Helen Law. Christopher is a prizewinner of many competitions including the Lewisville Lake Symphony International String Competition, the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, LSU Concerto Competition, the NPO Concerto Competition, the Vanderbilt Concerto Competition, the ASTA National Solo Competition, among others.
As a composer, he has won awards in the NAfME Composition Competition, Frank Van Der Stucken Composition Award, the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra Composition Competition, the Anton Stadler International Basset Clarinet Composition Competition, and the New York Art Ensemble Composition Competition. His music has been performed by the Nashville Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras, “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band, members of the Taipei Symphony and Seoul Philharmonic, New York All-State String Orchestra, Louisiana Youth Orchestra, and Louisiana Junior Youth Orchestra, among others. Recently, Christopher won second prize in the 2015 World Projects Composition Competition and as a result, his orchestral piece “Tranquillo” will be premiered in Carnegie Hall in June 2016.
Caio Diniz
Cello
Born in the city of João Pessoa, Brazil, cellist Caio Diniz began his music studies at the age of 8 at the Federal University of Paraiba. An avid soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician, Caio has attended music festivals in Brazil and toured with YOAOrchestra of the Americas in 2013 and 2015, in addition to performing as soloist with the Youth Orchestra of the Conservatory of Pernambuco. He has also performed in chamber concerts alongside the award winning Faculty of the Louisiana State University and the Federal University of Paraíba, and is a guest artist invited for the 2016 season with the João Pessoa Metropolitan Orchestra, Brazil. Caio is currently in his third year at Louisiana State University (LSU) and is a member of the Louisiana State University Symphony Orchestra, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, and Acadiana Symphony Orchestra.