French violinist Samuel Nemtanu is renowned for his warm tone, expressive depth, and distinctive musical voice. Born in Bordeaux into a musical family, he began playing the violin at the age of three and has since dedicated himself to exploring the full spectrum of his instrument. His innate curiosity and artistic openness have led to a versatile career spanning classical repertoire, contemporary creation, and electronic experimentation.

With his latest solo program, The Fifth String, Nemtanu ventures into bold new territory, presenting works for solo violin and electronics by living composers. He has collaborated closely with composers such as Lorenzo Bianchi-Hoesch, Annelies Van Parys, Aftab Darvishi, Calliope Tsoupaki, Wim Hendrickx, and Cassandra Miller.

Samuel Nemtanu has appeared on major international stages, including the Philharmonie de Paris, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Auditorium du Louvre, Salle Philharmonique de Liège, Studio 4 in Flagey, and Concertgebouw Brugge. He is principal second violin of the Brussels Philharmonic and was a core member of Les Dissonances, the acclaimed conductorless ensemble committed to reimagining the symphonic tradition. He also performs with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Belgium National Orchestra.

An avid chamber musician, Nemtanu is co-founder of the Brussels-based Carousel Chamber Music Ensemble and regularly performs with artists such as Annelien Van Wauwe, Agnès Clément, Louis Rodde, Anneleen Lenaerts, Wies De Boevé, Charlotte Wajnberg, Přemysl Vojta, Marceau Lefèvre, Alexandra Soumm, and Vineta Sareika. 

In 2025, Samuel founded the 'Fūga' String Quartet (Japanese for elegance, refinement, and grace) with Misako Akama (Concertmaster of the BNO), Elaine Ng (Principal Viola of the ASO), and Joao Gonçalves, based in Belgium.

Deeply committed to pedagogy, Nemtanu is a professor of violin at LUCA School of Arts – Lemmens Institute in Leuven. He has been coaching young violinists with Youth Orchestra Flanders since 2019 and frequently gives masterclasses, notably at the Huilo Huilo Music Festival in Chile and the Carousel Chamber Music masterclass in Kortrijk.

Samuel Nemtanu studied with Boris Garlitsky at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and with Shmuel Ashkenasi at Roosevelt University in Chicago. He is a First Prize winner of the Henri Koch International Competition in Liège and has further developed his artistry under the guidance of musicians such as Augustin Dumay, Dora Schwarzberg, Ivry Gitlis, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Hagai Shaham, Haim Taub, and David Grimal.