Biography
Combining his talents as a guitarist, educator, writer, and composer, Rami Vamos has
created a wide array of original musical events ranging from children’s theater to
concert music. His shows encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to explore
music in the classical genre. Mr. Vamos works closely with the Chamber Music Society
of Lincoln Center as a curriculum planner, writer, composer, and host for both their
Chamber Music Beginnings concert series and CMS Kids programs.
Mr. Vamos began his career in education as a New York City Teaching Fellow. He
currently teaches general music and conducts choir in Pelham, NY. He teaches career
development and entrepreneurial courses for classical musicians at NYU. Vamos is on
the guitar faculty of Concordia Conservatory in Bronxville, NY where he serves as
string department head and teaches Suzuki Guitar group classes. Mr. Vamos writes
two musicals each year for Concordia’s Musical Adventures for Children Concert
Series. In 2007, Concordia received a grant from the New York State Music Fund
to commission from him a full-scale musical for kids age 7-18. The work was the
subject of a CBS Teen Kid News Documentary which aired nationwide. Teen Kid News
has covered several of his other projects since then including his original
musical- “The Monster of Guitaristan”, which was premiered at Concordia in the
spring of 2016. Mr. Vamos has written several education articles for Soundboard
Magazine and the New York Times Schoolbook Blog.
His arrangements and original compositions have been heard on CBS, Fox, and NPR. In 2003 he
received a Meet the Composer Grant, which brought him to The Raritan River Concert Series.
His work was premiered there by the Newman and Oltman Guitar duet and members of the Turtle
Island String Quartet. In 1994 Vamos collaborated with guitarist Randal Avers on a set of guitar
duets called “12 Silly songs for 12 Silly Strings”. The work was published by Clear Note
Productions in 2014. He has also collaborated with his wife, violinist Nurit Pacht, on a
series of original compositions for violin and guitar which they have performed in summer
festivals and venues around the country.
Early in his career Vamos invented the fictional character of Wolfgang Amadeus Schmutzinberry.
Schmutzinberry looks exactly like Mozart- but has certain glaring holes in his
musical training. Schmutzinberry is blissfully unaware of this and sets out at the
beginning of each educational program to compose “the greatest masterpiece of all
time”. With help from the audience, the musicians on stage, and a few great works
by geniuses of the past- he is able to learn basic concepts like what a melody is.
These programs are educational, funny, and good for children ages 4-100.
Vamos has earned degrees from Oberlin Conservatory, where he studied with Stephon Aron, The
Yale School of Music, where he studied with Benjamin Verdery and received the Eliot Fist Prize,
and Queens College. He lives in New Rochelle, NY with his wife and their three
children.