Ani Kavafian, violin
Classical Bridge International Music Festival Academy
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Ani Kavafian continues to enjoy a prolific and prestigious career as a soloist, chamber musician and professor. She has performed with major orchestras in the United States including The New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
Ms. Kavafian has appeared at the White House on three separate occasions for three different presidents. Her numerous recital engagements have included performances in Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall and other major venues across the country. She is in high demand as a visiting professor and has conducted master classes at universities all over the United States as well as at workshops in Korea, Japan and Beijing. Ms. Kavafian recently recorded a series of master class videos for the Korean company, LG. She has been a periodic guest concertmaster of the Seattle Symphony and was concertmaster of the New Haven Symphony for 8 years appearing frequently as soloist with both orchestras. Together with cellist, Carter Brey, Ani Kavafian was director of the Mostly Music chamber music series in New Jersey for 25 years.
Having taught at Mannes College, Manhattan School of Music, McGill University in Montreal and Stony Brook University, she is now a full professor at Yale University and has appeared with her Yale students and colleagues at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall numerous times. She received the Avery Fisher Career Grant and is the winner of the Young Concert Artist International Auditions and is presently the president of their Alumni Organization. She has been featured on many network and PBS television specials. Her recordings include the Bach Sonatas with Kenneth Cooper, Mozart Sonatas with Jorge Federico Osorio, Henri Lazarof’s Divertimento with the Seattle Symphony, Tod Machover’s “Forever and Ever” with the Boston Modern Orchestra and the piano trio fo Justin Dello Joio with Carter Brey and Jeremy Denk. Performing frequently with her sister, violinist, Ida Kavafian, in recital as well as with the symphonies of Detroit, Colorado, Tucson and San Antonio, they have recorded the music of Mozart and Sarasate on the Nonesuch label.
Born in Istanbul, Turkey of Armenian heritage, Ms. Kavafian began piano lessons at the age of three. At age nine, in the United States, she began violin studies with Ara Zerounian and then with Mischa Mischakoff. She went on to study the violin at the Juilliard School with Ivan Galamian receiving a Master of Science degree with highest honors.
Throughout her career, Ms.kavafian has consistently appeared in major music festivals such as Santa Fe, Schleswig Holstein, Music @Menlo, and Chamber Music Northwest. Summer travels in 2019 will take her to the Sarasota Chamber Music Festival, the Heifetz International Institute, and festivals in Bridgehampton, Meadowmount, Norfolk and Angel Fire, NM. During the 2019-2020 season, Ms. Kavafian will continue her longtime association as a violinist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, performing in NYC and on tour.
Ms. Kavafian plays a 1736 Stradivarius violin, the “Muir MacKenzie”.