About The Altino Brothers
Virtuoso pianists, Nerva and Robenson Altino are incredibly talented, they perform at the piano with a dazzling technique, a unique sound, and have a compelling life story.
Their Father, Jean Lecome Altino was seeking a better life for his family, and left Haiti in a banana boat for the United States. After being at sea for over over 60 days, he finally landed ashore and settled in the Bahamas. After two years of residence there, he eventually made it to the US where he later sent for his wife and two sons.
The Altino Brothers' love for music was fostered both inside and outside of their home. Jean Lecome Altino, who is an amateur pianist, purchased a piano and began teaching his sons his beloved craft. Each morning the Brothers woke up to the sound of their father playing the great masters of classical music, including Mozart.
To further their music education, Jean sent his sons to the Davis Music Studio to study with piano pedagogue George Davis, whom introduced the Altino brothers to the works of piano greats like Vladimir Horowitz, Arthur Rubinstein, and Andre Watts... which affirmed the brothers' decision to become concert pianists. The music scene in New York provided the Altino Brothers with exposure to a variety of music genres including classical, jazz, and R&B. While attending Church, Nerva and Robenson were also inspired by hymns and spirituals.
At 18 years of age, Nerva continued his quest for excellence in music by attending Atlantic Union College, and studied piano with, Dr. Kaestner Robertson, and Roy Imperio. In addition to his piano studies, Nerva also studied Pipe organ with renowned organist, William Ness. Today, in addition to an active career as a concert artist, Nerva serves as Director of Music and Choral activities at the Linden Seventh Day Adventist Church in Queens, NY… and have accepted a recent appointment to serve as director of Music Administration at the Bridge Street AME Church, in Brooklyn, NY.
Robenson soon followed in the footsteps of his older brother, and went directly to The Manhattan School of Music for his undergraduate studies, where he studied piano with world renowned piano pedagogues Solomon Mokowsky and Sheryl Canellakis. In addition to his piano studies, Robenson also pursued training in choral conducting. He currently serves as Choir Director at the Lenox Road Baptist Church, and East NY Seventh Day Adventist Church, respectively.
In May of 2001, both Brothers received their Masters Degrees in piano performance from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. This accomplishment was the culmination of discipline and dedication they attained early during their formative years, as they each practiced an average 5-7 hours daily, this eventually developed into an innovative style and virtuosic technique at the piano.
In addition to their work as piano virtuosos, The Altino Brothers are co-founders and directors of the renowned Altino Brothers' Chorale. A powerful choral group with over 100 members, whom also performs and premieres most of Nerva's Choral compositions and arrangements. Under the leadership of the Altino Brothers, this dedicated group is known to produce a very high quality sound that can make one feel as though they are in the presence of the Divine. This unique group also possess the flexibility to be equally at home with the Classical Masters such as Handel, Mozart, and Beethoven, as they are with the latest contemporary Gospel songs.
The Altino Brothers dynamic concerts have earned them rave reviews for their interpretations of the classical masters such as Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff, and for their own creative and innovative renditions of well-known traditional favorites. Their performances at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, and Alice Tully Hall were embraced by exemplary reviews. Their multi-genre repertoire combines jazz idioms, classical motifs, with Gospel and Caribbean rhythms, which make their performances memorable, inspirational, and very entertaining.
The Altino Brothers have appeared on numerous television shows/programs, including: CBS NY Sunday Morning Show, NBC's Today Show Positively Black, TBN Hour of Power, and others. They have also performed in Concert Halls, Colleges/Universities, and Churches throughout the world, including the United States, Caribbean, Europe, and China.... headlining and featured in concerts at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Yale University's Woolsey Hall, Shanghai Symphony Hall, Mechanics Hall, Luis A. Ferre Performing Arts Center, The Congressional Black Caucus Prayer Breakfast, The Library of Congress, Christian Cultural Center, and various cities in China, including in Shanghai, and ChongQing.
Nerva is also a gifted composer and arranger, in 2008, he wrote an original sacred cantata, "The Second Coming" based on the Biblical books of Daniel, Mathew, and Revelation, which debuted to a capacity crowd at The Riverside Church in New York City, and received enthusiastic reviews from New York music critics. And in 2015, Nerva gave the world premiere of his newly composed double piano concerto at Carnegie Hall. A piece that is based on the beloved "Battle Hymn of the Republic", which is dedicated to the memory of all those who lost their lives during the terror attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.
