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, chamber-opera 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.

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-TBDNew England Conservatory of Music, Boston, MA

✦ Master of Music in Violin Performance with Academic Honors, 2006-2008New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, MA

✦ Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance with Academic Honors, 2002-2006

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, 2007-2009, 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 2006Aria, Muncie, IN 2005Musicorda, South Hadley, MA 2001Cavani String Quartet Summer String Festival, Laramie, WY 1998

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 2007-2010

✦ 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 2009-2010✦ 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 2009-2010✦ 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 2007-2008

✦ 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 2010Master class, Johnson String Performance Studio, Issaquah, WA 2010Master class, Billings, MT 2006

COMPETITION ADJUDICATING:Sheridan District No. 2 Festival Clinic, Sheridan, WY 2012Kent State University Concerto Competition, Kent, OH 2011Spokane Youth Symphony Concerto Competition, Spokane, WA 2010

Performance ExperienceSOLO RECITALS (PARTIAL):Recital with pianist, William Chapman Nyaho, Woodinville, WA, 2011Artist-in-Residence recital with pianist, Esther Wang, WYO Theatre, Sheridan, WY 2010John Kleshinski Series: Bach Accompanied Sonatas BWV 1014-1019 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 2011Arvo Pärt, Fratres for solo violin and orchestra, Interlochen Arts Camp, Cond. Dr. Paul Salerni, Interlochen, ! MI, 2010George Benjamin, Palimpsest I and II, Lucerne Festival Academy, Cond. Pierre Boulez, Lucerne, ! Switzerland 2009Marti Epstein, Rumplestiltskin, Guerilla Opera, Boston, MA 2009 (Premiere)Helmut Lachenmann, “...Zwei Gefühle...”, Musik mit Leonardo, Callithumpian Consort, Cond. Steven Drury, ! Boston, MA 2008Steve 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 2011Substitute first violin for the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, Cond. Eckart Preu, Spokane, WA 2010Substitute first violin for the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Cond. Gil Rose, Boston, MA 2010First violin section of the New England String Ensemble, Cond. Frederico Cortese, Boston, MA 2008-2010Guest Concert Master of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, Cond. Dr. David MacKenzie, New ! Bedford, MA 2009Guest principle second of the Atlantic Symphony, Cond. Jin Kim, Hingham, MA 2008Concertmaster and Principle Second of the New England Conservatory Orchestras, Boston, MA 2003-2008

COLLABORATIONS WITH LIVING COMPOSERSPerformances 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 2011Pierre Boulez, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Lucerne, Switzerland 2007-2009, 2011Peter 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 2010Libby Larsen, Four on the Floor, Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, Interlochen, MI 2010Kaija 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 2008George Benjamin, Palimpsests I and II, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Lucerne, Switzerland 2008Helmut Lachenmann, “...Zwei Gefühle...”, Musik mit Leonardo, New England Conservatory- Callithumpian ! Consort, Boston, MA 2008Steve Reich, Violin Phase and Triple Quartet, New England Conservatory, Boston, MA 2008

Ara Sarkissian, violinist

RépertoireSolo and Unaccompanied Works (Partial):J.S.Bach: Six Sonatas and Partitas BWV 1001-1006Bloch: Suite No. 2 for Violin SoloCarter: Four Lauds: No. 3 “Rhapsodic Musings”Hindemith: Sonata Op. 31 No. 2 for Violin SoloKriesler: Recitative and Scherzo Rochberg: Caprice Vatiations for Unaccompanied ViolinTelemann: 12 FanatasiesThomas: Incantation for Violin SoloYsaye: 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 1014-1019Bartok: 2nd Rhapsody for Violin and Piano! 2nd Sonata for Violin and PianoBeethoven: 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. 3Brahms: Sonatas for Violin and Piano! Sonata Op. 78! Sonata Op. 100! Sonata Op. 108Cage: Nocturne for Violin and PianoCrumb: Four Nocturnes (Night Music II) for Violin and PianoDvorak: Four Romantic Pieces! Sonatina Op. 100Enescu: Sonata No. 3 For Violin and Piano Op. 25Faure: Sonata for Violin and Piano Op. 13Grieg: Sonata for Violin and Piano Op. 45Janacek: Sonata for Violin and PianoKriesler: Pieces for Violin and Piano:Messiaen: Theme et Variations for Violin and Piano

Mozart: Sonatas for Violin and Piano! Sonata KV 376! Sonata KV 379! Sonata KV 380! Sonata KV 454! Sonata KV 526Part: Fratres for Violin and PianoProkofiev: Sonata No. 1 for Violin and PianoRavel: Sonata for Violin and PianoSarasate: Caprice BasqueSchubert: Sonatine I Op. Post. 137 No. 1Strauss: Sonata Op. 18 for Violin and PianoTartini: Devil’s Trill for Violin and PianoWieniawski: Polonaise Brillante Op. 4Ysaye: Reve D’Enfant

Concerti and Works for Violin Solo and Orchestra:J.S.Bach: Violin Concerto BWV 1041! Double Violin Concerto BWV 1043Barber: Violin ConcertoBerg: Violin ConcertoBeethoven: Violin Concerto! Romance for Violin and Orchestra Op. 50! Romance for Violin and Orchestra Op. 40Brahms: Violin Concerto Op. 77Bruch: Concerto No. 2 Op. 26! Scottish Fantasy Op. 46Davies: Violin ConcertoGlazunov: Violin Concerto Op. 82Haydn: Violin Concerto in G MajorKabelevsky: Violin ConcertoMendelssohn: Concerto in d minor Op. 40 for Violin and String Orchestra! Violin Concerto in e minor Op. 64Mozart: 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 219Part: Fratres for Violin and OrchestraSaint-Saens: Introduction and Rondo CapricciosoSchumann: Violin Concerto in d minorSibelius: Violin ConcertoSzymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 2 Op. 61Vieuxtemps: Violin Concerto No. 4Vivaldi: Four SeasonsWilliams: Lark Ascending