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News Release

Last modified: Thursday, May 1, 2008

Violinist Kevork Mardirossian appointed to IU Jacobs School of Music faculty

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2008

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music announced today (May 1) that violin virtuoso and world-renowned teacher of the instrument Kevork Mardirossian will join the faculty this fall.

"The appointment of Kevork Mardirossian to our very distinguished violin department adds yet another devoted pedagogue to a stellar list of high-energy teachers," said Lawrence Hurst, chair of the Jacobs School String Department. "As a performer, he has a rich and notable career and brings music-making of the highest order to his students. We welcome him to the Jacobs School of Music and the string community of Bloomington."

"To be a violinist and a violin pedagogue is a sacred mission, and it is an honor for me to continue this task at the Jacobs School of Music," said Mardirossian.

"His skills as a performer, his dedication, devotion and effectiveness as a pedagogue, and his winning personality, have made Kevork an important figure in our field, an ideal colleague for our faculty and a compelling figure to our students," said Gwyn Richards, dean of the IU Jacobs School of Music. "We look forward to his joining the faculty of Indiana University this fall."

A former concertmaster of the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra (Bulgaria), Mardirossian performed as concerto soloist and recitalist throughout Bulgaria, the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe before moving to Europe, where he developed an impressive solo career, with tours of England, Wales, Italy and the U.S., including debuts in London and New York's Carnegie Recital Hall in 1992. He has appeared as guest artist at international music festivals in Cheltenham, England; the European Cultural Months; the International Chamber Music Festival in Plovdiv, Bulgaria; the Czech Festival in Trento, Italy; and the Sofia Musical Weeks, Bulgaria.

Between 1988 and 1990, Mardirossian was concertmaster of the Baton Rouge Symphony, after which he was appointed artist-in-residence in violin at the University of Central Arkansas. In 1995, he was appointed as violin professor at the College of Music and Drama at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

Through the years, Mardirossian has established himself as a highly respected violin pedagogue, with outstanding students, who have won prizes and diplomas in international competitions in the U.S. and Europe. These include the Lipizer and Postacchini International Violin Competitions in Italy, three MTNA national winners in violin and chamber music, the International Khachaturian String Competition in New York, and the Washington, D.C. International Competition for Strings.

Several of his students have gained positions with London Symphony, LA Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Baton Rouge Symphony (concertmaster) and Saint Gallen and Zurich Opera Houses in Switzerland, as well as faculty positions in different music schools and conservatories in the U.S. and abroad.

Mardirossian is a recipient of the LSU Distinguished Faculty Award, the LSU School of Music Award for Excellence in Teaching and the LSU San Diego II Alumni Professorship.

As a member of the prize-winning Mardirossian-Phillips violin-piano duo, Mardirossian has toured the U.S., England, Bulgaria, Italy, France, Spain, Japan and China. Mardirossian is also a member of the Kapelle Piano Trio, with which he founded the Strings and Piano Chamber Music Festival in Heber Springs, Ark. He joined the faculty of the International Institute at Round Top, Texas, in 2001.

Mardirossian conducts violin master classes for advanced violinists in Bulgaria, held yearly in the D. Petkov Conservatory. He also presents regular master classes at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Boston University, Longy College, Oberlin Conservatory, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Seville, Granada and Cadiz Conservatories in Spain, Shanghai Conservatory and Sofia Musical Weeks Festival Academy.

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