From Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, pianist Natalia Kazaryan has been hailed by The New York Sun for her βprodigious ability,β remarking that she βimmediately established an atmosphere of strength and confidence.β She is βa marvel among marvels β¦ fascinating, elegantβ (Nice-Matin) and βincredibleβ (All Classical Portland).
Dedicated to giving equal platform to female composers in her public appearances, she notably curated and performed a recital of all women composers at the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., a performance The Washington Post named βone of the best classical concerts of the summer 2019.β
As a soloist, she has performed both major and lesser-known concertos β including those of Florence Price, Clara Schumann, Rachmaninov, Grieg, Prokofiev, and Mozart β with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic, the Harrisburg Symphony, and other ensembles across the country. Ms. Kazaryanβs acclaimed performance of Florence Priceβs Piano Concerto in One Movement, conducted by James Ross, was featured on Front Row Washington (WETA), DCβs classical music radio station.
She is co-founder of Washington Arts Ensemble, a nonprofit dedicated to delivering an unforgettable chamber music experience.
Having completed its inaugural season, the groundswell of support for this venture has propelled it well into the future as a touchpoint for many artists who want to connect with this highly unique community. DC Metro Theater Arts best summarized the zeitgeist of this organization: βEconomists and policymakers rub shoulders with students, connect over drinks and fine hors dβoeuvres, experience live music together, and meet again afterward to engage with the artists themselves.β
Recent standout performances include Ms. Kazaryan opening Portland Piano Internationalβs return to in-person concerts, which was guest curated by Angela Hewitt; a George Walker Musical Portrait at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC; and appearing in a solo recital on the prestigious Chicago series, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts.
Over the pandemic, Ms. Kazaryan released three EPs to Spotify and Apple Music: Lili Boulangerβs Trois morceaux pour piano; Bacewicz Piano Sonata No. 2; Ravelβs Gaspard de la nuit. All recordings were previously made at her Philadelphia recital debut presented by Astral Artists, which included a special commission by Alexandra Gardner. In 2016, she won Astralβs National Auditions.
She has appeared in the U.S. and Europe at key venues such as New Yorkβs Merkin Concert Hall, Philadelphiaβs Kimmel Cultural Campus, Salzburgβs Schloss Mirabell, Monacoβs ThéÒtre des VariΓ©tΓ©s, Madridβs Auditorio Sony, and Parisβ Salle Cortot and MusΓ©e Carnavalet. She performs regularly at the Palazzo Tornabuoni in Florence, and has participated in the IMS Prussia Cove Master Classes in Cornwall, England.
Ms. Kazaryan began studying piano at the age of six, and performed as soloist with the Tbilisi State Chamber Orchestra just one year later. She studied in the preparatory division of the Tbilisi Music Conservatory with Alla Nakashidze. She now holds both a Bachelor and a Masterβs degree from The Juilliard School, where she studied under Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio. She completed doctoral studies at the University of Michigan under Logan Skelton.
The first Juilliard student to participate in the Carla Bruni-Sarkozy exchange with the Paris Conservatoire, Ms. Kazaryan studied piano in Paris with Michel BΓ©roff and chamber music with ValΓ©rie Aimard. An active chamber musician, she took part in the Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship, dedicated to collaboration between The Juilliard School, the Paris Conservatoire, and the UniversitΓ€t fΓΌr Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien. She later won both a Fulbright Grant and a Harriett Hale Woolley Scholarship to Paris to continue her studies, with a focus on Olivier Messiaenβs Vingt Regards sur lβenfant JΓ©sus.
From 2013-2015, she studied at the Escuela Superior de MΓΊsica Reina SofΓa in Madrid, under Dimitri Bashkirov, and in June 2014 received a βSobresalienteβ Award from the hands of Queen SofΓa of Spain for outstanding work and excellence.
Ms. Kazaryan serves as Assistant Professor of Piano and Piano Area Coordinator at Howard University in Washington D.C.