Gohar Vardanyan

“Gohar Vardanyan performs with a genuine passion and virtuosity that is engaging and compelling.” — Sharon Isbin

Tuesday, March 12, 2013, at 7:30 PM

WMP Concert Hall
31 East 28th Street (between Madison and Park Avenues)
New York City (see map)

Program
PONCE Suite in A minor (in the style of Weiss)
BARRIOS MANGORÉ Un Sueño en la Floresta
SAINZ DE LA MAZA Andaluza
ALBÉNIZ Sevilla (from Suite Española, Op. 47)
ARCAS Fantasía para guitarra (on themes from La Traviata)
RODRIGO Invocación y Danza
MERTZ Fantasie Hongroise, Op. 65, No. 1

Armenian guitarist Gohar Vardanyan has performed throughout the United States for numerous guitar societies, universities, and arts organizations, including the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, and the Grand Canyon, Sierra Nevada, and New England Guitar Societies. She has appeared on National Public Radio in the United Stated on the program From the Top and Radio Nacional in Argentina. Ms. Vardanyan has also performed with the Juilliard Opera Center and as a soloist with the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra. Guitar International magazine has described her as “the complete package,” “with a musicality and emotional quality … that one would expect from someone much older than the young wunderkind. Not only is she able to draw you into her performances with engaging musical interpretations, but she has the technical facility that is required of any concert level guitarist.” Her playing has been described as “passionate,” “evocative,” and “virtuosic.”

In addition to her performing career, Ms. Vardanyan is an avid teacher. As a recipient of two teaching fellowships, she has worked with students from second through fifth grade. In addition to private instruction and master classes, she has taught music classes through the Morse Fellowship and group guitar classes through the Instrumental Music Program. She was also a recipient of the McCabe Guitar Fellowship for interactive performances in New York City’s public schools.

Ms. Vardanyan began studying the guitar in her native Armenia at the age of five under the careful guidance of her father, Vardan Vardanyan. At the age of eight, she gave her first public performance and also appeared on Armenian National Television. She was the first prize winner in the Armenian National Music Contest “Amadeus” and was accepted into the prestigious group, “New Names,” for talented young musicians. She performed in numerous concert venues in Armenia, including Komitas Chamber Music Hall and the Small Philharmonic Hall. She went on to study with Antigoni Goni at the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School. In 2001, Ms. Vardanyan studied with John Wunsch at the Interlochen Arts Academy. She was awarded the Young Artist’s Certificate from Interlochen Center for the Arts and the Harold Randolph Prize in performance from the Peabody Conservatory.

Ms. Vardanyan holds a Master of Music Degree from The Juilliard School where she studied with Sharon Isbin, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music where she studied with Manuel Barrueco. She is also an alumna of the Aspen Music Festival and School.