Levon Chilingirian OBE (Լևոն Չիլինկիրեան born 28 May 1948) is a UK-based

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

ist of Armenian origin. The founder of the Chilingirian Quartet, he is also a professor and Chamber Music Artist in Residence at the Royal Academy of Music and professor of Violin and Chamber Music at the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

, both in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. Born to

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

parents in Nicosia,

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...

, Chilingirian began playing the violin when he was five, being taught by his great-uncle, Vahan Bedelian. He came to

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

when he was 12 and studied at the Royal College of Music. With Clifford Benson (piano), he won first prize in the BBC Beethoven and the Munich Duo competitions in 1969 and 1971 respectively. In 1971 he founded the Chilingirian Quartet, which has developed a strong association with a number of composers, including

John Tavener Sir John Kenneth Tavener (28 January 1944 – 12 November 2013) was an English composer, known for his extensive output of choral religious works. Among his best known works are '' The Lamb'' (1982), ''The Protecting Veil'' (1988), and '' Song ...

and

Michael Berkeley Michael Fitzhardinge Berkeley, Baron Berkeley of Knighton, (born 29 May 1948) is an English composer, broadcaster on music and member of the House of Lords. Early life Berkeley is the eldest of the three sons of Elizabeth Freda (née Bernstein ...

. He was also one of the first members of

The English Concert The English Concert is a baroque orchestra playing on period instruments based in London. Founded in 1972 and directed from the harpsichord by Trevor Pinnock for 30 years, it is now directed by harpsichordist Harry Bicket. Nadja Zwiener ha ...

, and played in their first London concert in 1973. The Chilingirian Quartet hold an annual summer school at West Dean College. In addition to teaching, playing and recording, Chilingirian's interest in the work of

Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...

led to his own version of the composer's incomplete Quartet in F major. Chilingirian served as musical director of Camerata Nordica, a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

chamber orchestra, was artistic director (2003–2016) of the Mendelssohn on Mull Festival and with the Quartet has been part of the

Lake District Summer Music Lake District Summer Music (LDSM) is a music festival in the English Lake District. An annual event held in August, it features performances by international artists and there is also an academy for young musicians. Founded in 1985, LDSM was list ...

festival since its inception. In the

2000 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2000 for the United Kingdom and New Zealand were announced on 31 December 1999, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2000. The ''Honours list'' is a list of people who have been awarded one of the various ...

list, Chilingirian was awarded the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

for services to music.

References

External links

Camerata Nordica homepageChilingirian Quartet homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chilingirian, Levon 1948 births Academics of the Royal College of Music English classical violinists British male violinists Cypriot emigrants to England Cypriot people of Armenian descent Living people Officers of the Order of the British Empire Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom British people of Armenian descent 21st-century classical violinists 21st-century British male musicians Musicians from Nicosia Male classical violinists