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VIVACIOUS, TALENTED & YOUNG CELLIST ANI KALAYJIAN
By Arpine Kocharian, New York
AZG Armenian Daily
02/03/2007
"I find the process of being a cellist, and performing with other
musicians to be an exhilarating experience." Ani Kalayjian
Cellist Ani Kalayjian has garnered respect in the classical music
world at an age when most artists have yet to prove themselves. At
just 25 years old, the Armenian-American talent has had groundbreaking
performances in the United States, Canada and Europe, appearing in
concert both as a soloist and chamber musician. She has set the stage
for a prolific career having collaborated with many of the world's most
famous artists, while expressing her own artistic vision through an
impressive repertoire that reflects a wide range of genres and styles.
What started as a hobby soon became a true passion for music. Ani
began taking cello lessons at the age of four after she moved to the
United States. Her grandfather, who taught cello in the Middle East,
and was involved in the formation of a local orchestra in the 1960s,
was an early source of inspiration.
Ani's musical studies continued at the Manhattan School of Music
preparatory division. She received her Bachelor's degree in cello
performance from the Mannes College of Music in New York City, where
she studied with Timothy Eddy, cellist of the Orion Quartet. Ani went
on to obtain her Master's degree with distinction from the Royal
Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, where she was a
student of Ralph Kirshbaum, international soloist. Ani's teachers,
whom she considers integral to her success, refined her artistry and
skills as a professional musician. She concluded her postgraduate
studies in 2006 embarking on an exciting career in music.
International exposure to classical music festivals and her
myriad experiences have helped shape and impact her direction
as a performer. Ani was one of the two cellists selected for the
national program of the inaugural season of David Finckel and Wu Han's
Music@Menlo. She has appeared in Michael Tilson Thomas' Aaron Copland
workshop at Carnegie Hall where she performed at Zankel and Weill
Hall. At Prussia Cove in Cornwall, England, she was featured in a BBC
documentary playing in a masterclass with Steven Isserlis. In 2003,
Ani made her concerto debut at Columbia University's Miller Theatre
performing Saint-Saens concerto with orchestra. Her recent competition
success includes winning the Anglo-Czechoslovak Trust competition
where she was also granted the Bohuslav Martinu Foundation Prize.
Her 2006 concerts included appearances with the Bayside Trio in
Portland, Maine, as well as solo performances in Holland, the Czech
Republic, and at Oxford University in England. Among her upcoming
engagements are solo recitals in Montreal, as well as her New York
solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall on March 31, 2007.
As well as her ambitions as a soloist, Ani's passion for chamber
music is manifested in Trio Nareg where the brilliant young cellist
will perform with Ani Kavafian, one of America's most versatile
violinists, and pianist, Armen Guzelimian, a virtuoso soloist. The
three celebrated solo artists will perform at the inaugural season
of the opening of Segerstrom Hall for the very first time on May
24, 2007. This groundbreaking musical event will promote Armenian
contemporary and classical works.
David Finckel, Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of
Lincoln Center has been quoted with saying, "Ani Kalayjian's music
making is infused with her personal warmth. She brings joy into the
concert hall and shares it generously with the audience and with her
colleagues. She is an important musician who will undoubtedly touch
many lives during her career." As a messenger of classical music,
Ani wishes to discover seldom played works that have not yet been
explored to their full potential. She is also dedicated in promoting
classical music amongst the younger generations. "I want to educate
people of the living power of classical music. I can say that this
is the central goal of my career."
By Arpine Kocharian, New York
AZG Armenian Daily
02/03/2007
"I find the process of being a cellist, and performing with other
musicians to be an exhilarating experience." Ani Kalayjian
Cellist Ani Kalayjian has garnered respect in the classical music
world at an age when most artists have yet to prove themselves. At
just 25 years old, the Armenian-American talent has had groundbreaking
performances in the United States, Canada and Europe, appearing in
concert both as a soloist and chamber musician. She has set the stage
for a prolific career having collaborated with many of the world's most
famous artists, while expressing her own artistic vision through an
impressive repertoire that reflects a wide range of genres and styles.
What started as a hobby soon became a true passion for music. Ani
began taking cello lessons at the age of four after she moved to the
United States. Her grandfather, who taught cello in the Middle East,
and was involved in the formation of a local orchestra in the 1960s,
was an early source of inspiration.
Ani's musical studies continued at the Manhattan School of Music
preparatory division. She received her Bachelor's degree in cello
performance from the Mannes College of Music in New York City, where
she studied with Timothy Eddy, cellist of the Orion Quartet. Ani went
on to obtain her Master's degree with distinction from the Royal
Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, where she was a
student of Ralph Kirshbaum, international soloist. Ani's teachers,
whom she considers integral to her success, refined her artistry and
skills as a professional musician. She concluded her postgraduate
studies in 2006 embarking on an exciting career in music.
International exposure to classical music festivals and her
myriad experiences have helped shape and impact her direction
as a performer. Ani was one of the two cellists selected for the
national program of the inaugural season of David Finckel and Wu Han's
Music@Menlo. She has appeared in Michael Tilson Thomas' Aaron Copland
workshop at Carnegie Hall where she performed at Zankel and Weill
Hall. At Prussia Cove in Cornwall, England, she was featured in a BBC
documentary playing in a masterclass with Steven Isserlis. In 2003,
Ani made her concerto debut at Columbia University's Miller Theatre
performing Saint-Saens concerto with orchestra. Her recent competition
success includes winning the Anglo-Czechoslovak Trust competition
where she was also granted the Bohuslav Martinu Foundation Prize.
Her 2006 concerts included appearances with the Bayside Trio in
Portland, Maine, as well as solo performances in Holland, the Czech
Republic, and at Oxford University in England. Among her upcoming
engagements are solo recitals in Montreal, as well as her New York
solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall on March 31, 2007.
As well as her ambitions as a soloist, Ani's passion for chamber
music is manifested in Trio Nareg where the brilliant young cellist
will perform with Ani Kavafian, one of America's most versatile
violinists, and pianist, Armen Guzelimian, a virtuoso soloist. The
three celebrated solo artists will perform at the inaugural season
of the opening of Segerstrom Hall for the very first time on May
24, 2007. This groundbreaking musical event will promote Armenian
contemporary and classical works.
David Finckel, Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of
Lincoln Center has been quoted with saying, "Ani Kalayjian's music
making is infused with her personal warmth. She brings joy into the
concert hall and shares it generously with the audience and with her
colleagues. She is an important musician who will undoubtedly touch
many lives during her career." As a messenger of classical music,
Ani wishes to discover seldom played works that have not yet been
explored to their full potential. She is also dedicated in promoting
classical music amongst the younger generations. "I want to educate
people of the living power of classical music. I can say that this
is the central goal of my career."