Amanda Diaz, 19, was born in Miami, Florida. She graduated with honors and was principal viola at New World School of the Arts. Amanda was selected as a winner of the school’s Concerto Competition and as the most outstanding junior in the music division. She has attended the Superintendent Honor’s Festival since the fourth grade and the Florida All-State orchestra for the past six years. She was principal violist of the Miami String Project for two seasons, and she has been selected for multiple New World Symphony Side-by-Side concerts. In 2006 she was invited to Japan with the Miami String Project to perform in the First Annual Youth Arts Festival in Kagoshima. Amanda was also chosen to play with the well-known Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Bank Atlantic Center. Amanda participated in the Eastern Music Festival and also attended the prestigious Meadowmount School of Music, as well as Montecito Summer Music Festival. She has been selected to be a member of the Stamps String Quartet at the University Of Miami Frost School Of Music and has travelled to Texas with famous violinist Mark O’Connor as part of this special quartet. They will also be travelling to Vipiteno, Italy, in the summer to participate in the Orfeo Music Festival.

“Thanks to the Stamps Scholarship I already have had the opportunity to work with amazing guest artists and will continue to do so. This will help me immensely to prepare me for the music world after college.”