Natalia Kazaryan
Specialty: piano
The Washington Post hailed pianist Natalia Kazaryan’s recent performance as “one of the best classical concerts.” She is dedicated to giving equal platform to female composers in her public appearances and notably curated and performed a recital of all women composers at the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. A frequent collaborator with members of the National Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Kazaryan often appears at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage and in partnership with the orchestra’s performances at Howard University. Two notable concerts included celebrating the centennial of the 19th amendment (women’s suffrage) and commemorating the lifetime work of George Walker. She is co-founder of Washington Arts Ensemble, a nonprofit dedicated to delivering an unforgettable chamber music experience in the nation’s capital.
Recent standout performances include Ms. Kazaryan opening Portland Piano International’s return to in-person concerts, which was guest curated by Angela Hewitt; appearing in a solo recital on the prestigious Chicago series, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts; and appearing with the National Orchestral Institute in Florence Price’s Piano Concerto in One Movement.
As a recording artist, Ms. Kazaryan released three albums to Spotify and Apple Music. 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 Astral’s National Auditions.
She holds bachelor’s and a master’s degrees 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 Béroff and chamber music with Valérie Aimard. She won a Fulbright Grant to Paris to continue her studies on Messiaen.
Ms. Kazaryan is a recipient of the Sobresaliente Award from the hands of Queen Sofía of Spain for outstanding work and excellence. She holds an adjunct piano faculty position at Howard University and is a board member of the International Alliance for Women in Music.
