Violinist and musician Imanuel David Sandoval Gualdrón's journey began at a young age when he joined the National Children’s Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela in 1994. Since 2002, Imanuel has taught workshops and masterclasses to hundreds of young musicians through the prestigious El Sistema—the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Venezuela—and in affiliated programs in Argentina, the United States, Scotland, and Switzerland. He has shared the stage with over 20 internationally renowned artists, including Yuja Wang, Sir Simon Rattle, Claudio Abbado, Lorin Maazel, Daniel Barenboim, and Luciano Pavarotti. In 2008, he was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Fiesta in the Best Classical Album category, and received the Prince of Asturias Award that same year, along with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Abreu. In 2009, he was selected as a member of the Ibero-American Youth Orchestra, which led to a tour across multiple European cities.
As a longtime member of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, under the visionary leadership of Maestro José Antonio Abreu, Imanuel has received recognition from esteemed international organizations such as UNICEF, UNESCO’s Artists for Peace, and the WQXR Gramophone Award. He has contributed to more than 30 professional recordings with the orchestra under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. In 2017, Imanuel was part of the Latin Grammy-winning album "Bidimensional", a collaboration between the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, and the legendary Venezuelan band Guaco. The album won in the category of Best Contemporary Tropical Album.
In 2022, Imanuel received a Suncoast Regional Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for his role as Concertmaster in the award-winning production Breaking the Silence, in the Arts/Entertainment – Long Form Content category. The project was produced by MDC-TV in Miami–Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. A dedicated educator and musical ambassador, Imanuel has served as a juror for various orchestral competitions and continues to influence the industry as a voting member of the Latin Grammy Recording Academy.
Throughout Imanuel's career, he has performed across 34 countries in some of the world’s most iconic concert halls: Carnegie Hall (New York), the Berlin Philharmonie, the Musikverein (Vienna), La Scala (Milan), the Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg), the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall (Moscow), and the Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles).
Since 2018, Imanuel has also performed with several symphony orchestras: the Venice Symphony (FL), The Villages Philharmonic (FL), South Florida Symphony (FL), the United Nations Festival Orchestra (NY), and now The Orchestra San Antonio (TX). In 2025, he made his debut at the Sarasota Opera Winter Festival, where his performance earned him an immediate invitation to return for the 2026 season.
Now a San Antonio, TX resident, Imanuel continues his artistic and educational journey. He currently performs with The Orchestra San Antonio (TOSA) and is now an Ascend Faculty Artist under TOSA’s educational branch, the Classical Music Institute’s Ascend—a community-focused initiative dedicated to nurturing the next generation of San Antonio’s young musicians. This new chapter ushers in an era of meaningful collaboration, artistic growth, and lasting cultural impact.
