Ara Sarkissian, violinist

Transcription

1 Ara Sarkissian, violinist Biography Ara Sarkissian began studying the violin at the age of four and continues to enjoy performing and teaching both domestically and abroad. As a performer of contemporary music he has collaborated with such esteemed composers as Pierre Boulez, Peter Eötvös, Helmut Lachenmann, Wolfgang Rihm, Steve Reich, Frederic Rzewski, George Benjamin, and Kaija Saariaho. In 2009 Ara premiered Marti Epstein s setting of Rumplestiltskin with Guerilla Opera, a conductor-less, chamberopera ensemble in-residence at The Boston Conservatory. A special highlight of his performance career was performing George Benjamin s Palimpsests I and II under the direction of Pierre Boulez at the Lucerne Festival held in Switzerland. An avid music educator, Ara currently teaches chamber music for the Pre-College Division at SUNY Stony Brook University, however in recent years he has taught on the faculty of The Community Music Center of Boston where he was a violin and viola instructor for all ages, as well as an assistant conductor for their chamber orchestra. He has coached chamber music ensembles for the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra and violin sectionals for the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, one of Harvard University s top performing ensembles. Returning for his sixth year on the summer faculty of the Interlochen Center for the Arts, Ara will serve as a violin instructor, a chamber music coach, and a mentor for the World Youth Symphony Orchestra (WYSO). In the summer of 2009 he was featured with his colleagues on NPR s Performance Today for their performance of Bohuslav Martinu s La Revue de Cuisine. Ara received his Bachelors of Music and Masters of Music degrees from The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. His principal teachers were Marylou Speaker Churchill and James Oliver Buswell IV. Other important mentors include Mary LaMonaca, Lynn Chang, Paul Biss, Carol Ou, Paul Katz, and Roger Tapping. Ara has performed in master classes for Arnold Steinhardt, Pamela Frank, Ani Kavafian, and Patinka Kopec. Ara is currently attending the SUNY Stony Brook University to earn a Doctorate of Musical Arts in violin performance. His primary teachers are Phil Setzer of the Emerson String Quartet, and Soovin Kim.

2 Ara Sarkissian, violinist Curriculum Vitae Education COLLEGE AND GRADUATE SCHOOL: SUNY Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY Doctorate of Musical Arts in Violin Performance, 2012-TBD New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, MA Master of Music in Violin Performance with Academic Honors, New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, MA Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance with Academic Honors, MENTORS: Mary LaMonaca, Mary Lou Speaker Churchill, Lynn Chang, Paul Biss, James Oliver Buswell IV, Soovin Kim, Phil Setzer CHAMBER MUSIC COACHES: Donald Palma, Paul Katz, Roger Tapping, Paul Biss, Uri Vardi, James Oliver Buswell IV, Carol Ou, Cavani String Quartet MASTER CLASS PARTICIPANT: Arnold Steinhardt, Pamela Frank, Ani Kavafian, Patinka Kopec SUMMER FESTIVAL PARTICIPANT: Lucerne Festival Academy, Lucerne, Switzerland, , 2011 Principle Second of the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra, Cond. Pierre Boulez, Lucerne, Switzerland 2008 Brevard Music Center, Brevard, NC, 2007 Advanced String Quartet Program Heifetz International Music Institute, Wolfeboro, NH 2006 Aria, Muncie, IN 2005 Musicorda, South Hadley, MA 2001 Cavani String Quartet Summer String Festival, Laramie, WY 1998

3 Teaching Experience FACULTY POSITIONS: Chamber music coach for Stony Brook University Pre-College Division s Community Music School, Stony Brook NY, 2012-present Responsibilities include preparing and coaching small chamber groups consisting of students ages 12 through 18. Violin Instructor and Chamber Coach, Interlochen Arts Camp, Interlochen, MI 2008-present Responsibilities include teaching private lessons, coaching chamber music, and mentoring violin sectionals for the World Youth Symphony Orchestra (WYSO). Violin and Viola Instructor and Assistant Director for the chamber orchestra, Community Music Center of Boston, Boston, MA Taught private lessons for all ages (4-60) and was the substitute conductor for the high school chamber orchestra. We performed symphonies by Haydn and Mozart. Chamber Music Coach for the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, Boston, MA Prepared and taught young students to play in trios and quartets for recitals. Skill ranges were from novice to high school students with several years of chamber experience. Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra Sectional Coach, Cambridge, MA Prepared the second violins for rehearsals and concerts through conducting and demonstrating violin techniques. Violin Instructor, The University of Wyoming s Summer Music Camp, Laramie, WY 2003 Shared the responsibility of preparing the chamber string ensemble for a performance. PRIVATE TEACHING: Substitute Instructor for James Oliver Buswell IV, New England Conservatory, Boston, MA Substitute teaching for NEC s Preparatory School. Led scale and arpeggio classes for undergraduate and graduate students. Private Violin Instructor, 2000-present All ages and skill levels, from beginners aged 4 to adults. MASTER CLASSES: Artist-in-Residence master class, Sheridan, WY 2010 Master class, Johnson String Performance Studio, Issaquah, WA 2010 Master class, Billings, MT 2006 COMPETITION ADJUDICATING: Sheridan District No. 2 Festival Clinic, Sheridan, WY 2012 Kent State University Concerto Competition, Kent, OH 2011 Spokane Youth Symphony Concerto Competition, Spokane, WA 2010

4 Performance Experience SOLO RECITALS (PARTIAL): Recital with pianist, William Chapman Nyaho, Woodinville, WA, 2011 Artist-in-Residence recital with pianist, Esther Wang, WYO Theatre, Sheridan, WY 2010 John Kleshinski Series: Bach Accompanied Sonatas BWV with pianist, Stephen Yenger,! Community Music Center of Boston, Boston, MA 2010 SOLOIST WITH ORCHESTRA or CHAMBER ENSEMBLE (PARTIAL): Wolfgang Rihm, Vier studien zu einem Klarinettenquintet, Lucerne, Switzerland 2011 Arvo Pärt, Fratres for solo violin and orchestra, Interlochen Arts Camp, Cond. Dr. Paul Salerni, Interlochen,! MI, 2010 George Benjamin, Palimpsest I and II, Lucerne Festival Academy, Cond. Pierre Boulez, Lucerne,! Switzerland 2009 Marti Epstein, Rumplestiltskin, Guerilla Opera, Boston, MA 2009 (Premiere) Helmut Lachenmann,...Zwei Gefühle..., Musik mit Leonardo, Callithumpian Consort, Cond. Steven Drury,! Boston, MA 2008 Steve Reich, Triple Quartet, Callithumpian Consort (shivaree), Cond. Steven Drury, Boston, MA 2008 ORCHESTRAL (PARTIAL): Substitute first violin for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Cond. Stilian Kirov, Memphis, TN 2011 Substitute first violin for the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, Cond. Eckart Preu, Spokane, WA 2010 Substitute first violin for the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Cond. Gil Rose, Boston, MA 2010 First violin section of the New England String Ensemble, Cond. Frederico Cortese, Boston, MA Guest Concert Master of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, Cond. Dr. David MacKenzie, New! Bedford, MA 2009 Guest principle second of the Atlantic Symphony, Cond. Jin Kim, Hingham, MA 2008 Concertmaster and Principle Second of the New England Conservatory Orchestras, Boston, MA COLLABORATIONS WITH LIVING COMPOSERS Performances where the composer was involved with the preparation and/or performance itself. **Denotes premiere of work. Wolfgang Rihm, Vier studien zu einem Klarinettenquintet, KKL Konzert Hall, Lucerne, Switzerland 2011 Pierre Boulez, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Lucerne, Switzerland , 2011 Peter Eötvös, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Lucerne, Switzerland 2011 **Bob Brownlow, Nine Variations of a Theme by Monteverdi (Lasciatemi Morire!), Interlochen Summer Arts! Camp, Interlochen, MI 2011 **Zae Munn, Forays and Trysts, Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, Interlochen, MI 2010 Libby Larsen, Four on the Floor, Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, Interlochen, MI 2010 Kaija Saariaho, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Lucerne, Switzerland 2009 **Betsy Schramm, Words of War/Letters of War, Boston, MA 2009 **Marti Epstein, Rumplestiltskin, Guerilla Opera, Boston MA, 2009 Frederic Rzewski, New England Conservatory, Boston, MA 2008 George Benjamin, Palimpsests I and II, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Lucerne, Switzerland 2008 Helmut Lachenmann,...Zwei Gefühle..., Musik mit Leonardo, New England Conservatory- Callithumpian! Consort, Boston, MA 2008 Steve Reich, Violin Phase and Triple Quartet, New England Conservatory, Boston, MA 2008

5 Ara Sarkissian, violinist Répertoire Solo and Unaccompanied Works (Partial): J.S.Bach: Six Sonatas and Partitas BWV Bloch: Suite No. 2 for Violin Solo Carter: Four Lauds: No. 3 Rhapsodic Musings Hindemith: Sonata Op. 31 No. 2 for Violin Solo Kriesler: Recitative and Scherzo Rochberg: Caprice Vatiations for Unaccompanied Violin Telemann: 12 Fanatasies Thomas: Incantation for Violin Solo Ysaye: Solo Sonatas Op. 27! Sonata No. 2 Obsession! Sonata No. 3 Ballade! Sonata No. 4! Sonata No 5 L Aurore Accompanied Works with Piano: J.S.Bach: Sonatas (6) for Violin and Harpsichord BWV Bartok: 2nd Rhapsody for Violin and Piano! 2nd Sonata for Violin and Piano Beethoven: Sonatas for Violin and Piano! Sonata Op. 12 No. 1! Sonata Op. 12 No. 2! Sonata Op. 12 No. 3! Sonata Op. 23! Sonata Op. 24! Sonata Op. 30 No. 1! Sonata Op. 30 No. 2! Sonata Op. 30 No. 3 Brahms: Sonatas for Violin and Piano! Sonata Op. 78! Sonata Op. 100! Sonata Op. 108 Cage: Nocturne for Violin and Piano Crumb: Four Nocturnes (Night Music II) for Violin and Piano Dvorak: Four Romantic Pieces! Sonatina Op. 100 Enescu: Sonata No. 3 For Violin and Piano Op. 25 Faure: Sonata for Violin and Piano Op. 13 Grieg: Sonata for Violin and Piano Op. 45 Janacek: Sonata for Violin and Piano Kriesler: Pieces for Violin and Piano: Messiaen: Theme et Variations for Violin and Piano

6 Mozart: Sonatas for Violin and Piano! Sonata KV 376! Sonata KV 379! Sonata KV 380! Sonata KV 454! Sonata KV 526 Part: Fratres for Violin and Piano Prokofiev: Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano Ravel: Sonata for Violin and Piano Sarasate: Caprice Basque Schubert: Sonatine I Op. Post. 137 No. 1 Strauss: Sonata Op. 18 for Violin and Piano Tartini: Devil s Trill for Violin and Piano Wieniawski: Polonaise Brillante Op. 4 Ysaye: Reve D Enfant Concerti and Works for Violin Solo and Orchestra: J.S.Bach: Violin Concerto BWV 1041! Double Violin Concerto BWV 1043 Barber: Violin Concerto Berg: Violin Concerto Beethoven: Violin Concerto! Romance for Violin and Orchestra Op. 50! Romance for Violin and Orchestra Op. 40 Brahms: Violin Concerto Op. 77 Bruch: Concerto No. 2 Op. 26! Scottish Fantasy Op. 46 Davies: Violin Concerto Glazunov: Violin Concerto Op. 82 Haydn: Violin Concerto in G Major Kabelevsky: Violin Concerto Mendelssohn: Concerto in d minor Op. 40 for Violin and String Orchestra! Violin Concerto in e minor Op. 64 Mozart: Violin Concertos:! Concerto No. 1 KV. 207! Concerto No. 2 KV. 211! Concerto No. 3 KV 216! Concerto No. 4 KV 218! Concerto No. 5 KV 219 Part: Fratres for Violin and Orchestra Saint-Saens: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso Schumann: Violin Concerto in d minor Sibelius: Violin Concerto Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 2 Op. 61 Vieuxtemps: Violin Concerto No. 4 Vivaldi: Four Seasons Williams: Lark Ascending