Vardan Mamikonian

Who is Vardan Mamikonian?

Vardan Mamikonian is an Armenian pianist, and a naturalised French citizen.

The Armenian pianist, Vardan Mamikonian was born into a musical family. He began his piano studies at the Yerevan School of Music at the age of 6. He continued his studies at the Moscow Conservatory and at the prestigious Tchaikovsky Conservatory where he became a student of Valery Kastelsky, the last pupil of legendary teacher Heinrich Neuhaus. Further studies followed with Russian virtuoso Lazar Berman, and in 1981 he was awarded First Prize at the Balis Dvarionas Piano Competition in Vilnius. More first prizes followed - in 1990 at the Lefébure Competition in Saint-Germain-en-Laye and in 1992 at the World Music Masters Competition in Monte Carlo, reserved exclusively for winners of international competitions. In 1991 he Mamikonian emigrated to France and has since made his home in Paris.

Vardan Mamikonian has attracted the attention of the international public with his elegant technique and superb musicianship. In the USA he has appeared with Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra playing Sergei Rachmaninov’s Concerto No 1; with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra, and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl.