Ani Kavafian (, born May 10, 1948,

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

) is a classical

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

ist and professor at the

Yale School of Music The Yale School of Music (often abbreviated to YSM) is one of the 12 professional schools at Yale University. It offers three graduate degrees: Master of Music (MM), Master of Musical Arts (MMA), and Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), as well as a joi ...

Early life and education

Born in

of Armenian heritage, Ani Kavafian began piano lessons at the age of three. After immigrating to the United States in 1956, she began violin studies in Detroit, Michigan with Ara Zerounian and then with Mischa Mischakoff. She went on to study at the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...

with

Ivan Galamian Ivan Alexander Galamian (; April 14, 1981) was an Armenian-American violin teacher of the twentieth century who was the violin teacher of many seminal violin players including Itzhak Perlman and Kyung Wha Chung. Biography Galamian was born in ...

receiving a Master of Science degree.

Career

In 1973, she was a winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, where she now serves as president of their Alumni Association. In 1979, she was the recipient of the

Avery Fisher Career Grant The Avery Fisher Career Grant, established by Avery Fisher, is an award given to up to five outstanding instrumentalists each year (since 2004, chamber music groups are also eligible). The Career Grants are a part of the Avery Fisher Artist Program ...

. The same year, she became a member of the

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) is an American organization dedicated to the performance and promotion of chamber music in New York City and around the world. It is the largest organization of its kind in the country for chamber m ...

; she continues to tour the United States, Canada and Europe with CMS. Her affiliation there is the longest tenure of any artist of the Society. She has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia and Cleveland orchestras, as well as the Los Angeles and Saint Paul chamber orchestras. As a recitalist, she has performed at New York's

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

and

Alice Tully Hall Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The hall is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and Philanthropy, philanthropist whose donations assis ...

, as well as in various venues across the United States. Ani and her sister, violinist Ida Kavafian have performed together around the country in recitals and as soloists with several orchestras. Over the years, Ani has taught at the Mannes School of Music and the

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...

Queens College Queens College (QC) is a public college in the New York City borough of Queens. Part of the City University of New York system, Queens College occupies an campus primarily located in Flushing. Queens College was established in 1937 and offe ...

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

, and

Stony Brook University Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public university, public research university in Stony Brook, New York, United States, on Long Island. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is on ...

. She was appointed as a full professor in the Practice of Violin at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

in 2006. Kavafian is in great demand as a visiting professor conducting master classes around the country and online, as well as workshops in Korea, Japan and China. Ani Kavafian is married to artist Bernard Mindich. Her instrument is the 1736 “Muir-McKenzie”

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th ...

Awards

* “Inspiring Yale” Award, 2018 * Interlochen “Path of Inspiration” Award, 2003 *

, 1976 * Young Concert Artists, 1973 *

Concert Artists Guild The Concert Artists Guild is an American musical institution, based in New York City and established in 1951. It is dedicated to discovering and nurturing musical talent, and helping musicians start careers. It provides scholarships and grants, and ...

, 1971

Discography

* "Ani Kavafian with Charles Wadsworth" in works by

Fritz Kreisler Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, he was known for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing, with marked por ...

(Musical Heritage Society, 1975) *

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

: Duo for Violin & Viola / Moritz Moszkowski: Suite for Two Violin & Piano /

Pablo de Sarasate Pablo Martín Melitón de Sarasate y Navascués (; 10 March 1844 – 20 September 1908), commonly known as Pablo de Sarasate, was a Spanish violinist, composer and Conducting, conductor of the Romantic music, Romantic period. His best known work ...

: Navarra for Two Violin & Piano. Ida Kavafian, violin, viola; Ani Kavafian, violin; Jonathan Feldman, piano (Nonesuch, 1986) * Henri Lazarof: Divertimento III for Solo Violin & Strings. Ani Kavafian, violin;

Gerard Schwarz Gerard Schwarz (born August 19, 1947), also known as Gerry Schwarz or Jerry Schwarz, is an American symphony conductor and trumpeter. As of 2019, Schwarz serves as the Artistic and Music Director of Palm Beach Symphony and the Director of Orc ...

, conducting Seattle Symphony (JVC Music, 1998) * “The Chamber Music of Claude Debussy.”

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

(Delos International, 2000) *

Tod Machover Tod Machover (born November 24, 1953, in Mount Vernon, New York), is a composer and an innovator in the application of technology in music. He is the son of Wilma Machover, a piano, pianist and Carl Machover, a computer scientist. He was named ...

: Hyperstring Trilogy. Matt Haimovitz, hypercello; Kim Kashkashian, hyperviola; Ani Kavafian, hyperviolin; with the voice of Carol Bennett; Gil Rose, conducting Boston Modern Orchestra Project (Oxingale Records, 2003) *

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

: Six Sonatas for violin and fortepiano. Ani Kavafian, violin; Kenneth Cooper, fortepiano. (Kleos Classics, 2004) *

: Violin Sonatas K. 301, K. 378, K. 380 and K. 526. Ani Kavafian, violin; Jorge Federico Osorio, piano (Artek, 2006) *

Arno Babajanian Arno Harutyuni Babajanian (January 22, 1921November 11, 1983) was a Soviet and Armenian composer and pianist. He was made a People's Artist of the USSR in 1971. Biography Babajanian was born in Yerevan on January 22, 1921. By age 5, his musical ...

: Piano Trio / Violin Sonata. Avo Kuyumjian, piano; Ani Kavafian, violin; Suren Bagratuni, cello (Marco Polo, 2009) * Paul Chihara: Love Music by Ani Kavafian (Albany, 2011) *

Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, critic, writer, teacher, pianist, and conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as the "Dean of American Compos ...

: Sextet. The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (Delos Productions Inc. 2012)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kavafian, Ani Juilliard School alumni Yale School of Music faculty Bard College faculty 1948 births Musicians from Istanbul American people of Armenian descent Turkish people of Armenian descent Turkish emigrants to the United States Living people American women classical violinists Armenian classical violinists Armenian women violinists Armenian music educators Armenian women music educators 21st-century American women musicians American women academics 21st-century American classical violinists Turkish classical violinists Turkish violinists Turkish women violinists Turkish music educators Turkish women music educators