ORCHESTRA | HAYDN VITERA
“Seeing all of the kids so happy and free to express themselves was inspiring and exhilarating to watch! The concert was not all about Haydn but about him teaching the kids the importance of the basics of classical training which then allows you to become creative so you can express yourself through music. Haydn had such a charismatic personality that transcended into every student!! Haydn is a teacher, performer and role model!!”
Parent from Glendora HS, California
ABOUT
Formerly a member of Grammy-winning Asleep at the Wheel, Haydn Vitera is a multi-talented instrumentalist who plays guitar, keys, and most notably, electric violin on his 6-string fretted Viper, introduced by Vitera for the first time into the Latin genre. Haydn has been a professional touring and studio musician since 1997 in a wide variety of genres but primarily country and rock. His most notable performances have been with Stevie Wonder, George Strait, Asleep at the Wheel, Delbert McClinton, Rick Trevino, Los Lonely Boys, and Itzhak Perlman (with the UT Symphony).
Haydn fuses old-school American rock with Latin grooves and instrumentation as a backdrop for pop rock lyrics in Spanish, English, and Spanglish. This Austin-based artist brings an unmistakable Texas edge to Rock Latino, blending congas and horns with slide guitar one minute and orchestral strings with fiery rock violin the next. In addition, Vitera is an extremely versatile vocalist who can growl like David Coverdale or sound as smooth as Luis Miguel.
Vitera’s 2010 debut “¡Súbete!” was an unprecedented, AlterLatino mix of shredding rock violin, big guitars and powerful bilingual vocals that broke the language barrier and brought together many crossover listeners. The first of its kind, the Rock Latino electric violin instrumental “La Vibora” (“The Viper”) was licensed by the City of San Antonio for use in its worldwide promotional video which debuted at the Shanghai Business Expo. EYS creator Mark Wood loved the song so much that he arranged the work for string orchestra and performs it regularly in the EYS repertoire.
Vitera continues in his role as leader and co-founder of Movimiento Rockero, a collective of bands whose mission is to unite artists and fans of the Rock Latino/Alterlatino genre through the release of a yearly CD compilation and monthly showcases at Austin’s legendary Antone’s Nightclub.
Haydn received his training and education at UT Austin, studying violin performance with Dr. Eugene Gratovich, as well as theory and composition. He also studied with Dr. Tim Muffitt for 3 years with the UT Symphony.
CONNECT WITH HADYN
TESTIMONIALS
“Haydn was a wonderful addition to our annual EYS program. He worked great with the students! They enjoyed his attention to detail and gained quite a lot from all the musicianship tips he shared through the 2-day experience.”
Charlie Hunter, Orchestra Director, Mason County Schools (KY)