Nara Avetisyan

Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Pedagogy Certificate
Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland, OH
Master of Music in Collaborative Piano Performance
Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland, OH
Master of Music in Piano Performance
Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland, OH
Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance
Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland, OH

Armenian pianist Nara Avetisyan has garnered accolades as a performer equally at home in recital, concerto, and chamber music appearances. Born in Yerevan into an artistic family, Nara began her piano studies at the age of six at the Alexander Spendiaryan Music School, and just a year later won her first competition. An in-demand artist, Ms. Avetisyan has given recitals in Vienna, Munich, Geneva, London, Monaco, Sochi, Boston, Los Angeles and other European and U.S. cities

Ms. Avetisyan is currently pursuing her Doctor in Musical Arts degree (DMA) at Stony Brook University with Gilbert Kalish and Christina Dahl. In 2017, she finished her Master’s double-degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) in both solo and collaborative piano performance, studying with the world-famous pianist and pedagogue Sergei Babayan and Anita Pontremoli, respectively. Ms. Avetisyan received her B.M. degree in piano performance from CIM in 2014 as a student of Sergei Babayan. She also holds a certificate in piano pedagogy from CIM. In 2014, Ms. Avetisyan received first prize in the “Grant” piano competition in Sioux Falls. She has received prizes in numerous competitions, including the Balys Dvarionas International Piano Competition (Lithuania), the “Konzerteum” International Piano Competition (Greece), “Le Muse” International Piano Competition (Italy), and the “Chopin Rome 2008” International Piano Competition (Italy).

As a winner of the 2016 CIM Concerto Competition, Nara performed with the CIM Orchestra in Severance Hall, under the baton of the well-known conductor Jahja Ling. Ms. Avetisyan has been a recipient of the Sergei Babayan Prize in Piano, and Dr. Joseph and Bess Scharff Leven Prize in Piano at CIM.

During her time at CIM, Nara was selected to participate in the Advanced Piano Trio Program under the tutelage of the well-known cellist Sharon Robinson, with whom she has also concertized. Ms. Avetisyan has performed with the Yerevan Philharmonic Orchestra, Youth Chamber Orchestra, Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra, and the CIM Orchestra. Ms. Avetisyan took part in festivals such as Cleveland’s Art Song Festival, Pianofest in the Hamptons, Rites of Spring Festival, National Gallery International Music, and Yerevan International Music Festival in Armenia. Nara actively collaborates and performs with various instrumentalists and singers, including violinist Eli Matthews, first assistant principal of the Cleveland Orchestra.