JOHN, a native of Arden Hills, Minnesota, began studying the violin at the age of
three and has been playing professionally since he was six years old. Mr. Madura grew
up in a musical family; his father is a cellist and conductor, his mother is an oboist, and
his sister is a cellist. The Madura family quartet experience offered Mr. Madura an early
and somewhat hilarious perspective on chamber music. (The Maduras love to laugh!)
From age seven to seventeen, he switched gears and became a springboard diver. Music
and violin were constant, but overshadowed by diving during those years, As a diver, he
won numerous state, regional, and national titles. (Mr. Madura no longer dives unless his
children need a dose of cool at the local pool.)
He served as Concertmaster of the Midland Odessa Symphony for 12 years. Mr.
Madura also served for eight years as Concertmaster of the Big Spring Symphony in Big
Spring, Texas and the Southwest Symphony in Hobbs, New Mexico. He was also
associate Concertmaster of the the Abilene Philharmonic. He was on faculty University
of Texas Permian Basin where he taught, coached, and performed. His latest
appointments include the Dubuque Symphony, LaCrosse Symphony, and as violinist in
the Iowans.
Mr. Madura’s career as a violinist has been a joyous journey because of the rich diversity
it has offered him. From playing concerti in front of an orchestra, to playing in a smoky
jazz club, from playing the most sublime hymn, to playing Late Beethoven quartets, Mr.
Madura feels truly blessed.
Some highlights of Mr. Madura’s career include performances and tour of “Short
Stories”, by David Puckett with the Abilene Christian University wind ensemble and the
Permian Basin string quartet in January, 2015, performing the violin part in the
Broadway production of”Chicago” in April, 2015. He has been enjoying sharing
masterclasses with the students of Milam elementary in Odessa, Texas since 2011. In
2010, Mr. Madura performed the Brahms concerto to high praise with the MOSC. In
2004, he was the winner of the Texas Tech University Concerto Competition and
performed the Brahms Violin Concerto with the TTU Symphony Orchestra under the
baton of Gary Lewis. The following summer, Mr. Madura was selected as a finalist in the
Schlern International Music Competition taking place in Schlern, Italy.
Mr. Madura has an long history of orchestral performance. He has been in the Baton
Rouge, Acadiana, and Lubbock symphonies. He was Concertmaster of the Natchez Opera
Orchestra and was Assistant Concertmaster for the Abilene Opera Orchestra. Mr.
Madura has performed with Chamber Music Amarillo and was invited to participate in
the Quartz Mountain Music Festival Orchestra and String Quartet. He has performed
with major artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Mark O’Connor, Brad Leali, The Smothers
Brothers, Mercedes Ellington, Sarah Brightman, Sandi Patty and Smokey Robinson.
Mr. Madura is highly sought after as a chamber player, pedagogue, and clinician and
believes strongly in sharing his gifts with the younger generation.
Key instructors for Mr. Madura include Dr. John Gilbert at TTU, James Alexander and
Kevork Mardirossian at Louisiana State University and Elizabeth Ericksen of St. Paul,
Minnesota.
The Madura family moved from Midland, Texas to LaFarge, Wisconsin in June of 2018
to embark in a new life closer to family.
Mr. Madura loves to cook, travel, paint, jump off of cliffs and disc golf.
three and has been playing professionally since he was six years old. Mr. Madura grew
up in a musical family; his father is a cellist and conductor, his mother is an oboist, and
his sister is a cellist. The Madura family quartet experience offered Mr. Madura an early
and somewhat hilarious perspective on chamber music. (The Maduras love to laugh!)
From age seven to seventeen, he switched gears and became a springboard diver. Music
and violin were constant, but overshadowed by diving during those years, As a diver, he
won numerous state, regional, and national titles. (Mr. Madura no longer dives unless his
children need a dose of cool at the local pool.)
He served as Concertmaster of the Midland Odessa Symphony for 12 years. Mr.
Madura also served for eight years as Concertmaster of the Big Spring Symphony in Big
Spring, Texas and the Southwest Symphony in Hobbs, New Mexico. He was also
associate Concertmaster of the the Abilene Philharmonic. He was on faculty University
of Texas Permian Basin where he taught, coached, and performed. His latest
appointments include the Dubuque Symphony, LaCrosse Symphony, and as violinist in
the Iowans.
Mr. Madura’s career as a violinist has been a joyous journey because of the rich diversity
it has offered him. From playing concerti in front of an orchestra, to playing in a smoky
jazz club, from playing the most sublime hymn, to playing Late Beethoven quartets, Mr.
Madura feels truly blessed.
Some highlights of Mr. Madura’s career include performances and tour of “Short
Stories”, by David Puckett with the Abilene Christian University wind ensemble and the
Permian Basin string quartet in January, 2015, performing the violin part in the
Broadway production of”Chicago” in April, 2015. He has been enjoying sharing
masterclasses with the students of Milam elementary in Odessa, Texas since 2011. In
2010, Mr. Madura performed the Brahms concerto to high praise with the MOSC. In
2004, he was the winner of the Texas Tech University Concerto Competition and
performed the Brahms Violin Concerto with the TTU Symphony Orchestra under the
baton of Gary Lewis. The following summer, Mr. Madura was selected as a finalist in the
Schlern International Music Competition taking place in Schlern, Italy.
Mr. Madura has an long history of orchestral performance. He has been in the Baton
Rouge, Acadiana, and Lubbock symphonies. He was Concertmaster of the Natchez Opera
Orchestra and was Assistant Concertmaster for the Abilene Opera Orchestra. Mr.
Madura has performed with Chamber Music Amarillo and was invited to participate in
the Quartz Mountain Music Festival Orchestra and String Quartet. He has performed
with major artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Mark O’Connor, Brad Leali, The Smothers
Brothers, Mercedes Ellington, Sarah Brightman, Sandi Patty and Smokey Robinson.
Mr. Madura is highly sought after as a chamber player, pedagogue, and clinician and
believes strongly in sharing his gifts with the younger generation.
Key instructors for Mr. Madura include Dr. John Gilbert at TTU, James Alexander and
Kevork Mardirossian at Louisiana State University and Elizabeth Ericksen of St. Paul,
Minnesota.
The Madura family moved from Midland, Texas to LaFarge, Wisconsin in June of 2018
to embark in a new life closer to family.
Mr. Madura loves to cook, travel, paint, jump off of cliffs and disc golf.