2026-2027 Iris Artist Fellows

Alvaro Miranda

Born in Huánuco, Peru, Alvaro began studying cello at 14 with his hometown youth symphony orchestra. He later studied at the National Conservatory of Peru before receiving a full scholarship to The University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance in 2021. He went on to earn a master’s degree from the Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin, studying with renowned cellist Bion Tsang.

Currently, Alvaro is a Doctor of Musical Arts cello candidate and graduate teaching assistant at The University of Alabama, where he studies with cellist Moises Molina. He also is a member of the Capstone String Quartet, the university’s student quartet in residence.

Alvaro has performed with orchestras in Peru and throughout the U.S. In Peru, he has played with the National Conservatory of Peru and Musical Association Romanza.

In the U.S., he has played with the Meridian Symphony Orchestra, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, The University of Texas at Austin Symphony Orchestra, and the Central Texas Philharmonic. Currently, he is part of the cello section for the Starkville Symphony, the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, and the Huxford Symphony Orchestra, The University of Alabama’s orchestral ensemble.

An experienced educator, Alvaro taught in The University of Texas at Austin String Project from 2021–2023 and served on the cello faculty at Austin Chamber Summer Workshop. He currently teaches undergraduate and non-major cello students at The University of Alabama.

Alvaro is the cello Artist Fellow for Iris Collective.

Samuel Rolim

Samuel began studying violin with his father, amateur violinist Junio Araujo, before continuing with Elton Cabral. After joining his local youth orchestra in Brazil, he studied at the EMAN Conservatory with Ronedilk Dantas and Yerko Tabilo, and with Hermes Alvarenga through the youth program at the Federal University of Paraíba.

In 2017, Samuel graduated with honors from The University of Southern Mississippi, where he studied with Dr. Shannon Thomas and Dr. Stephen Redfield. He earned a Master of Music degree from Texas Christian University in 2019, studying with Dr. Elisabeth Adkins while serving as her graduate teaching assistant.

A scholarship recipient at music festivals in the U.S. and Brazil, Samuel has performed in master classes with renowned musicians including Mauricio Fuks, Igor Petrushevski, Mikhail Kopelman, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Burton Kaplan, Alexandre Brussilovsky, and Olga Kaler.

Samuel is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at West Virginia University under Professor Mary Grace Johnson. He is a member of the Montani String Quartet and concertmaster of the WVU Symphony Orchestra.

An avid chamber musician, he has performed in master classes and alongside members of the Aeolus, American, Ariel, Borodin, Borromeo, Brentano, Cleveland, Dali, Latinoamericano, Miró, Pacifica, and Tokyo quartets. Samuel also performed as an orchestral musician with the Meridian Symphony Orchestra, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, the Gulf Coast Symphony, and the San Angelo Symphony, among others.

Passionate about teaching, Samuel has coached at the Mississippi Youth Symphony Orchestra, FestivalSouth Academy and the B Sharp Youth Music Program while maintaining private teaching lessons.

Samuel is the violin Artist Fellow for Iris Collective.

The Iris Artist Fellowship is a program for rising professional musicians with a passion for engaging music as a tool for social impact while growing in their own artistry.

The program is designed to provide experiential opportunities in several aspects of a professional music career: including performance, teaching artistry and community involvement. Between concerts, Iris Artist Fellows bring positive change to schools and other organizations in underserved communities by participating in community engagement programs that focus on confidence and empowerment through music, mentorship, inspiration, and social equity.

Our Fellows also benefit from the opportunity to build their professional network within a community of skilled instrumentalists with nationwide connections.

The fellowship is directed toward Black, African American and Latinx artists in classical music.