About Us
Preludium Strings is a professional string ensemble based in San Antonio, Texas and was founded by Michael Badillo (Bio Below). Preludium Strings is composed of only high-quality, professional musicians. Our Musicians not only have decades of chamber music experience but also decades of professional symphonic orchestral experience. Our mission is to enrich San Antonio, TX and the surrounding areas with music in every avenue possible, from special personal events like weddings, anniversary parties, and ceremonies, to grander events like corporate events, services, and community outreaches. Preludium Strings will bring passion to every event they perform, regardless of how big or small.
Michael Badillo (Founder of Preludium Strings)
Violinist/Violist
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Michael Badillo is a dedicated violin teacher and performer here in San Antonio, Texas. He has received his training from Beth Johnson (a current member of the San Antonio Philharmonic) at Northwest Vista College, earning his AA Concentration in Music. Ongoing at Texas State University School of Music, pursuing his BA in Music Performance, Michael studied with Dr. Lynn Ledbetter in 2012. Afterward, he studied with Steven Copes (currently the Concertmaster of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra) through the Curtis Institute of Music Mentor Network in 2021, earning a Certificate of Completion. Michael is an active symphonic performer playing with many different orchestras around Texas such as Central Texas Philharmonic, Mid-Texas Symphony, San Antonio Philharmonic, Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra, Kingsville Symphony Orchestra, Victoria Symphony, Symphony Viva, Round Rock Symphony, and the Laredo Philharmonic. When Michael is not performing with the symphonies, he is passionately teaching the art of the violin in his studio. Currently, Michael is a senior teaches at Antonio Strad Violin, a violin sectional coach and mentor for the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio (YOSA), works for NISD and NEISD as a string coach and private teacher, and performs chamber music with Harmony Gallery Quartet! For more information about Michael, please visit his website at https://michaelbadillo.weebly.com/biography.html.
Mr. Badillo currently performers on a 2021 Bronek Cision Violin and a 2024 Bronek Cison Viola.
Richard Peralta
Violinist/Violist
Richard Peralta is currently the head orchestra director at Straus Middle School in NISD and studied at the University of Texas at San Antonio under the tutelage of UTSA faculty Dr. Stephanie Westney for a master’s in violin performance. He has worked with UTSA’s String Project program and has taught with the public orchestra programs in Northside, Northeast, Alamo Heights, Ector, Midland, and San Antonio school districts with private and group string instruction. Mr. Peralta earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Texas Permian Basin, where he studied music education and violin under Dr. Alejandro Gomez-Guillén. Former violin instructors include Dr. Megan Poppe and Dr. John Madura.
In the West Texas school orchestra programs, Mr. Peralta began his string studies with Maria Mutis (2007), later became the concertmaster at Ector Junior High (2010) and Odessa High and took home 5th place in the All-Region competition (2013) thanks to the teachings of Dr. Daniel Loudenback and Kyle Davis.
Under the direction of former UTPB violin instructor Dr. John Madura, Mr. Peralta became the concertmaster of the UTPB Philharmonic, a position he held from his second semester until his graduation date. Mr. Peralta has performed with the San Antonio Philharmonic, Mid-Texas Symphony, Symphony Viva, West Texas Symphony, and Big Spring Symphony. He was part of the Equinox New Music Collective in 2015, in which he played in the concert premiere of Alex Luttrell’s “(in)Sanity.” He also tied for top performer at UTPB’s American Composers Recital with a performance of Aaron Copland’s “Hoe-down" from 'Rodeo'. The following year, he led the Midland Festival Ballet Symphony as their concertmaster in a full production of Sergei Prokofiev’s “Cinderella" ballet and under the close instruction of violinist Dr. Megan Poppe, led the Video Games Live Symphony during their Midland/Odessa tour as their concertmaster and violin soloist. Recently, Mr. Peralta served as the concertmaster for Symphony Viva’s 2023 production of Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’, under the direction of Dr. Joe Kneer. Mr. Peralta has also served as concertmaster for the UTSA Philharmonic orchestra, directed by Troy Peters.
Mr. Peralta has performed in a solo-masterclass setting for the world-class violin artist Chee Yun, and in a chamber-masterclass setting for the chamber quartet from The Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields.
One of Mr. Peralta’s highest honors was performing in Orvieto Musica’s 2018 ‘Intensive Strings’ Festival in Italy, where he represented UTPB on the international stage. The audition was worldwide and only accepted 9 musicians into the program.
Mr. Peralta also led First Baptist Orchestra in Odessa as their concertmaster and has accepted freelance gigs all around Texas. In addition to his classical training, Mr. Peralta also co-founded Mariachi Oro, a West Texas mariachi group consisting of classically trained musicians.
Upon graduation, Mr. Peralta would like to open up his own music studio and become a permanent member in the local symphony of wherever he resides.
Mr. Peralta Performs on a Sam Billings violin, 2016.
Williams Naranjo
Violinist
A Venezuelan violinist who graduated from the Latin American Academy of Violin under the guidance of maestro José F. del Castillo, pupil of the master Ivan Galamian. He completed advanced studies with Maurice Hasson, Margaret Pardee, Yossy Siboni, Ruggiero Ricci, Yehudi Menuhin, Alexander Snaider, Agustin Dumay, and Ron Rog. Dr. Naranjo has appeared in important Concert Hall such as Carnegie Recital Hall (New York), Colón Theater (Buenos Aires), UNESCO (France), Montpellier (France), Tournot (France) Aula Magna Bogotá, Teatro Teresa Carreño (Venezuela), Aula Magna (Caracas), among others. He's been invited to music festivals such as the Internacional del Hatillo, Colonia Tovar, Friends of Chamber Music, Prades, Monpellier, and the International Music Festival of Costa Rica. Dr. Naranjo has served as concertmaster and guest soloist for the Simón Bolívar Orchestra, National Philharmonic, Caracas Philharmonic, Symphony of the Americas, Soloists of Venezuela, Caracas Chamber Ensemble and the Miami Symphony Orchestra, Caracas Municipal Symphony Orchestra, EAFIT Symphony Orchestra, Cali Symphony Orchestra, and Nariño Symphony Orchestra. In chamber music, he is the Founding member of the trio Sojo, Grupo Onkora (Venezuelan Music), founder and director of the Orchestra Camerata Alma de Venezuela, Quartet 5, and Quartet EAFIT. In 1988, he premiered in Latin America the concert for violin and orchestra of the Danish composer Carl Nielsen and the Sonata No. 2 of the same composer. He premiered the concert for violin and orchestra by composer Raúl Jiménez, a concert written for him. He has recorded for Venezuelan television the Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi, a concerto by Jean Sibelius and P.I.Tachikovsky. He has been invited as a jury of the Bogotá Symphony, Cali, Nariño, and the EAFIT Symphony, Medellín- Colombia. It has a digital recording sponsored by Fama de América, Inspiration of the Earth Digital recording of arrangements and works of his authorship, based on the structure of Venezuelan music. He has been invited to the digital recordings of the camera group Bellas Artes (Venezuela), interpreting the fantasy for harp and violin of Camile Saint Saens and works of Venezuelan composers. He has participated in different projects of digital recordings of chamber music and choral symphony, among them are: "Interacciones musicales" of the group of musical studies of the university EAFIT, "The new Symphonic Music Colombian Coral" and "Music of camera Académica in Medellín. In June 2011, he premiered in Venezuela and Colombia, performing a concert for violin and viola by Benjamín Britten. As a teacher, Has been invited to master classes at the "Latin American Academy" of violin and in the nuclei of the Orchestras of the National Youth System of Venezuela, in the different music programs in Colombia. He has been a professor at the Central University of Venezuela and the University of Zulia as a professor and coordinator of the string area. He has been a jury member of the contest of young soloists in Medellín and Cali. Jury of the University of Antioquia, Medellín, is a permanent invited professor of the project of the Young Orchestra Foundation of Nariño. He was the Founder and General Director of the Festival Course Union of the Arts, Venezuela. In October 2020, professor of violin for undergraduate and master's degrees, coordinator of the string area of the EAFIT University Department of Music, and concertmaster and soloist of the EAFIT Symphony Orchestra. Today, Dr. Naranjo plays in different orchestras in Texas, teaches in NISD as a Fine Arts Consultant, and is an Adjunct professor at A & M University, Corpus Christi, Texas.
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