(listed in alphabetical order)

Dr. Tatev Amiryan

Piano, Composition/Songwriting, Music Theory

Preparation for ABRSM, CM, AP Music Theory Exams, competitions, auditions, and college admissions

Dr. Tatev Amiryan is an Armenian-American award-winning composer, pianist, music educator, and co-founder of Renaissance Music Académie. She has performed extensively throughout the United States, Eastern Europe, and in the United Kingdom, at such prestigious venues and institutions as: Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Preston Bradley Hall at Chicago Cultural Center, San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, Southern Connecticut State University, UMKC Conservatory of Music, Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, CT, Aram Khachaturian House-museum and Komitas Museum-Institute in Yerevan, Armenia, and Royal College of Music in London, United Kingdom.

Her music has been performed extensively in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Armenia, Russia, Ukraine and Israel by such renowned ensembles and performers as: German Chamber Philharmonic of Bremen, Portland Youth Philharmonic, National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, CMEA Central Coast Honors Orchestra, Carpe Diem String Quartet, Ensemble Oktoplus, Metropolitan Choral of Kansas City, Juventas New Music Ensemble, Globus Music Ensemble, and Playground Ensemble. Her pieces have been featured at festivals and projects such as: MITO Settembre Musica International Festival (Italy), GogolFest (Ukraine), Królewskie Arkady Sztuki (Poland), Blurred Edges (Germany), Women Composers Festival of Hartford (USA), London International Piano Symposium (UK), and Crossing Borders Music (USA).

Dr. Amiryan was awarded: 1st Prize at the UMKC Conservatory Chamber Music Composition Competition; Winner of the Metropolitan Chorale of Kansas City’s Composition Contest; Winner of the Abundant Silence Composition Competition; Winner of the International Alliance for Women in Music Call for Scores; Winner of the Crossing Borders Music Call for Scores; Winner of the RMN Classical Call for Piano Works; Winner of the Juventas New Music Ensemble Call for Scores; and the 2nd Prize at New Ariel Recordings Fifth Piano Composition Competition. She has been commissioned by acclaimed organizations and performers: North German Radio NDR, Portland Youth Philharmonic, New Ariel Recordings, Access Contemporary Music ACM, Abundant Silence Music Publisher, and Lilith Ensemble. Her music has been broadcasted by many TV and Radio stations in Armenia and in the United States, including the Armenian Public TV H1, American Public Media, Iheart, WCNY and KPTZ radio stations’ classical music programs.

Dr. Amiryan has presented lectures and lecture-recitals at international conferences and festivals in the US, Europe, and UK including: Women in the Arts International Conference at University of Missouri-St. Louis; Women Composers Festival of Hartford at Hartt School of Music in Connecticut; London International Piano Symposium at Royal College of Music; the 12th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities in Honolulu, Hawaii; USF New Music International Festival at the University of South Florida; the 3rd Hildegard Festival of Women in The Arts at California State University, Stanislaus; and the IAWM International Alliance for Women in Music Conference at the Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. She has presented guest lectures and lecture-recitals at Florida State University in Tallahassee and at the University of Connecticut, UConn; and as an artist in residence at Southern Connecticut State University.

Aside from her active professional career as a composer and pianist, Dr. Amiryan has also been engaged in music education for over fifteen years. She has taught at a number of higher institutions in the United States including: San Jose State University, University of Silicon Valley, University of Missouri, SAE Institute San Jose, UMKC Community Music and Dance Academy, and Crowden Music School in Berkeley.

Dr. Amiryan holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in both composition and musicology with a minor in piano performance from Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, Armenia and a DMA Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. She is a member of the Union of Composers of the Republic of Armenia, IAWM International Alliance for Women in Music, ASCAP American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and MTAC Music Teachers Association of California. Dr. Amiryan has the distinction of being a Steinway & Sons Educational Partner. Currently, she holds a teaching position at the University of California, San Diego.

To learn more about Dr. Amiryan and her compositions, or to hear her performances, visit her personal website: https://www.tatevamiryan.com

Gayane Grigoryan

Violin

Preparation for competitions, All State auditions, collegiate admissions and auditions

Gayane Grigoryan is an award-winning concert violinist and music educator. She has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe at prestigious venues and institutions including: Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall; Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle Concert Halls in Hamburg, Germany; Fazioli Concert Hall in Sacile and Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Pordenone, Italy; Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall in Yerevan, Armenia; Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in Greensboro, NC; Bradshaw Performing Arts Center in Pinehurst, NC; Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh, NC; Methodist University and Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, NC; Schneebeck Concert Hall in Tacoma, WA; and Meany Center of the Performing Arts in Seattle, WA.

Her solo appearances and recordings include performances with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, Espirito Santa Philharmonic Orchestra, Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra, German Neue Philharmonie, Federal Way Youth Orchestra, Yerevan Youth Symphony Orchestra, Arno Babajanyan Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, Alan Hovhannes Chamber Orchestra, and Armenian TV and Radio National Symphony Orchestra.

She was a member of the Hrachya Piano Trio in Beirut, Lebanon and recorded with the Gloria String Quartet in Yerevan, Armenia. For many years Gayane has been an artist in residence at the Holter Chamber Music Festival in Sacile and Trieste, Italy. Currently, she is a member of a contemporary music string quartet sponsored by the Amabile Classic organization in Hamburg, Germany.  

Ms. Grigoryan is the First Prize winner of the J.S. Bach National Competition; and the Aslamazyan and Gabrielyan National String Competition.

Ms. Grigoryan studied at the Arno Babajanyan Music College; Komitas State Conservatory of Music in Yerevan, Armenia; and East Carolina University School of Music where she worked with Ara Bogdanyan, a former student of David Oistrakh, Armen Haroutunian, Ara Gregorian, and Joanne Bath.

Ms. Grigoryan has over 23 years of teaching experience with the traditional approach and over 15 years with the Suzuki method. She is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and is officially registered for SAA Violin Units 1 through 10. Gayane served as a faculty member at the Arno Babajanyan College in Yerevan, Armenia and at the Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Currently she holds a teaching position at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA.

To learn more about Ms. Grigoryan visit: https://suzukiassociation.org/people/gayane-grigoryan

Dr. Laura Farré Rozada

Piano, Artist in Residence

Dr. Laura Farré Rozada is an award-winning pianist and mathematician, deemed a ‘Rising Star’ by BBC Music Magazine and a ‘New Talent’ by the BIME Equity Awards 2022. She also received the American Classical Young Musician Award 2022 in Washington D.C. (USA) and was awarded the honorable mention Premi Creu Casas 2025 (Institut d’Estudis Catalans). Magazine Serra d’Or recently described her as ‘one of the most valued performers of her generation, with dozens of awards and distinctions on five continents’. Laura’s PhD at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire was funded by the British Arts and Humanities Research Council through the Midlands4Cities AHRC Doctoral Studentship. She has been a musician in residence in the UK (BCMG: NEXT Scheme 2018-2019) and Canada (Laurier University 2017, Banff Centre 2019), the latter supported with the Cyril and Elizabeth Challice Fund for Musicians Award. During seasons 2024-2027, Laura will be artist and lecturer in residence at CosmoCaixa (Barcelona) and CaixaForum (Sevilla, Zaragoza, Valencia, Madrid).

Her second solo album Nimbus (2021) was awarded 11 prizes in the USA (Los Angeles, San Diego, New York) and Spain, including the Premi Talent Cambra 2021; and was also nominated as Best Classical & Contemporary Album at Premis Enderrock 2022. Her debut album The French Reverie (2018) was described by Classical Music Magazine as ‘a model for young artists making their recording debuts’. Both projects were crowdfunded by 250 patrons from 30 countries across the 5 continents. Laura will release her third album in 2025.

As a soloist, Laura performed in Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Bulgaria, Serbia, UK, Canada, USA, Argentina and Singapore. Her concerts were programmed in venues such as Carnegie Hall (New York), Southbank Centre (London), Holzmarkt 25 (Berlin), Usina del Arte (Buenos Aires), Palau de la Música Catalana (Barcelona), L’Auditori (Barcelona), Fundación March (Madrid), Vital Fundazioa (Vitoria-Gasteiz), Teatre des Born (Menorca), McAninch Arts Center (Chicago), Art Share LA (Los Angeles), Heller Center for Arts & Humanities (Colorado Springs), Gallery345 (Toronto), University Club of Montreal, Steinway Hall (London), V&A Museum (London), Britten Theatre (London), CBSO Centre (Birmingham), Bulgaria Hall (Sofia), Beckley’s Hall (Novi Sad) and MNAC (Barcelona). Laura performed at festivals such as NAK (Pamplona), Dansàneu (Pyrenees), Festival de piano ‘Abbaye de Saint-Savin et Vallée des Fresques’ (Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe), Classical:NEXT (Berlin), FiraB (Mallorca), Toca’m Tortosa, Delicatessen Musiquem Lleida, Festival de Música ‘Ciudad de Chipiona’, Primavera Musical de Vistabella, Flatpack Film Festival: Soundscreen (Birmingham) and the ‘Ligeti in Wonderland’ Festival (London) curated by Pierre-Laurent Aimard.

Laura worked with conductors Edmon Colomer, Timothy Lines, Jean Deroyer, Steven Schick, Tyshawn Sorey, Thomas Foskett-Barnes, Matthew Hardy, Tomàs Grau, Xavier Pagès-Corella, Francesc Prat, Yannick Mayaud and Jean-Bernard Matter; and performed with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble Court-Circuit (Paris) and International Contemporary Ensemble (New York). Her live performances were broadcasted on France 3, France Musique, BBC Radio 3, Sveriges Radio P2 (Stockholm), RTVE, TV3, Canal 33, Radio Clásica, Catalunya Ràdio, Catalunya Música and UER (Euroradio Top Young Performers Series). She also appeared on national and international media such as Brum Radio, Classic FM Radio, Bulgarian National Radio, Radio Filarmonía (Peru), BBC Music Magazine, Classical Music Magazine, International Piano Magazine, American radios KCME (Colorado Springs) and KALW (San Francisco), RAC1, iCat, Onda Cero, COPE and Cadena SER. Additionally, Laura was awarded prizes at competitions in Argentina, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA. During 2017-2018, she was featured at the exposition D’ONES: Women’s (R)evolution in Music commissioned by Enderrock Magazine. Laura also performs and is interviewed in the documentary Revolutionary Quartet, l’enigma Gerhard, which premiered in the film festival In-Edit Barcelona 2023.

Laura’s interest in collaborating with living composers led her to work with renowned composers including George Crumb, Brian Ferneyhough, Michael Finnissy, Rebecca Saunders, Márton Illés, Rolf Hind, Nino Russell, Albert Sardà and Leonora Milà. She has given 20 world premieres and 57 national premieres of works written by Unsuk Chin, Philippe Manoury, David Lang, George Lewis, Dai Fujikura, Anna Thorvaldsdóttir, Pierre Jodlowski, Vladimir Djambazov, Thierry Escaich, Ofer Ben-Amots, Tyshawn Sorey, Miya Masaoka, Tatev Amiryan, Josep Maria Guix, Alex Baranowski, José Martínez, Joel Järventausta, Lara Poe, Yixuan Zhao and Piyawat Louilarpprasert, among others; as well as by the historical composers Komitas Vardapet, Alan Hovhaness, Aleksandr Spendiaryan, Edouard Abramian, Dimitar Nenov, Alexei Stanchinsky and Gayane Chebotarian. Laura also commissioned and world-premiered three Piano Concertos written by Feliu Gasull, Joel Järventausta and Angela Elizabeth Slater, the latter funded by Ambache Charitable Trust, PRS Foundation and RVW Trust. Her albums The French Reverie and Nimbus feature 5 world-premiere recordings. Laura’s recordings of Ofer Ben-Amots’ piano music are part of this composer’s archive at the National Library of the State of Israel and The Jewish People in Jerusalem.

As a researcher, Laura specialised in music and mathematics, musical memory, performance psychology and the post-tonal repertoire. She has been a guest lecturer at Boston University, Colorado College, University of Colorado (Colorado Springs), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Fundación Teatro del Lago (Chile), L-Università ta’ Malta, Isidor Bajić Music School (Novi Sad), Universitetet i Bergen (Norway), Birmingham City University, Conservatori de Tarragona, Conservatori Municipal de Música de Barcelona, Institut d’Estudis Vallencs, Casa Seat, Amics del Liceu, Ciencia en Acción, Residencia de Estudiantes (ICMAT-CSIC), Universidad de Zaragoza, Universitat de Barcelona and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). Her articles were published by Platea Magazine, Sul Ponticello, Debates and Societat Catalana de Matemàtiques. Laura presented her research at conferences by the Royal Musical Association (RMA), American Musicological Society (AMS), European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (ESCOM), Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (SEMPRE), South African Society for Research in Music (SASRIM), Musicological Society of Australia (MSA) and Association of European Operational Research Societies (EURO); hosted by institutions such as the University of Cincinnati, Boise State University (Idaho), Gannon University (Pennsylvania), State University of New York (Potsdam), University of Toronto, University of Ottawa, McGill University (Montreal), University of Alberta (Edmonton), City University of London, University of Hull, Cardiff University, Maynooth University (Ireland), Accademia Musicale “Studio Musica” (Italy), University of Jyväskylä (Finland), KU Leuven (Belgium), University of Zagreb (Croatia), University of Niš (Serbia), University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg), Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (Copenhagen), Universitetet i Oslo and University of Melbourne. 

Laura is also an active radio broadcaster and disseminator of music and mathematics. She is the director, scriptwriter and presenter of the shows La cinta de Möbius (Catalunya Música), which was awarded the Premi Matemàtiques i Societat 2023 (Institut d’Estudis Catalans), Premio Prisma 2023 (Casa de las Ciencias a la Divulgación, A Coruña) and nominated as Best Musical Show to Premis ARC 2022; and Musimáticas (Radio Clásica). She also collaborates with Spanish National Radio’s shows De Pe a Pa (Pepa Fernández, Alfredo Laín) and Sinfonía de la mañana (Martín Llade). Laura is also the director, scriptwriter and presenter of the series Temas de Música (Radio Clásica), dedicated to performance psychology. She also worked with visual artists Gnomalab and Alba G. Corral, with 2Faced Dance Company and dancers Jonathan Goddard, Vilma Tihilä and Jess Williams.

Laura completed her Master of Music degree at the Royal College of Music in London as an RCM Patrons’ Award Holder, where she received an ‘Exceptional’ Distinction (94%) for one of her final recitals. Previously, she graduated with Distinction from her Bachelor’s and Master’s piano studies with Jean-François Dichamp at the Catalonia College of Music (ESMUC), and from her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). She obtained several Distinction Awards in all her studies. Additionally, she extended her training with professors Jordi Vilaprinyó Del Perugia, Stanislav Pochekin, Mikhail Voskresensky, Felix Gottlieb, Konrad Elser, Boris Berman, Dmitri Alexeev, Hortense Cartier-Bresson, Michel Béroff, Marie-Josèphe Jude, Alba Ventura, Albert Attenelle, Andrew Haigh, Albert Tarakanov, Natasa Sarcevic, Marcel Baudet, Rita Wagner, Mark Knoop, Cory Smythe, Ryan Muncy, Claire Chase, Malcolm Wilson, Ludovica Mosca, Nelly Ben-Or and the Arditti Quartet.​

To learn more about Dr. Laura Farré Rozada visit: www.laurafarrerozada.com

Tehmine Schaeffer

Voice

Preparation for competitions, auditions, and college admissions

Tehmine Schaeffer is an internationally acclaimed Austrian-Armenian opera singer, one of the leading performers of her generation. Her repertoire encompasses a wide array of operatic and concert works. She has performed in many countries including: the United States, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Russia, Greece, Armenia, Egypt, and China. Such performances were at prestigious venues of the: Wiener Musikverein in Vienna, Teatre Calderón d’Alcoi in Spain, National Theater of Greece, Cairo Opera Thater and Alexandria Opera House in Egypt, Wuxi Grand Theater in China, Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, and Saint Petersburg Philharmonia in Russia.  She has made appearances as a soloist with renowned orchestras: Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong; European Strauss International Orchestra; Cappella Istropolitana Slovak Chamber Orchestra; Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra; Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra of Russia; Russian National Orchestra of Mikhail Pletnev; Tatarstan Philharmonic Orchestra; State Symphony Orchestra of Armenia; Cairo Symphony Orchestra in Egypt; Symphony Orchestra of Tbilisi, Georgia; Kirov Philharmonic Orchestra; Ural Philharmonic Orchestra; Minsk Chamber Orchestra; Symphony Orchestra of Novgorod; and Ryazan Philharmonic in Russia.

As an Armenian native, Ms. Schaeffer graduated with Honors from the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory in vocal and composition studies. Later she continued her vocal studies at the Franz Schubert Conservatory in Vienna, Austria. While a student at the Yerevan State Conservatory she won the prestigious Crystal Camerton International Competition for Young Composers in 2003. In 2009 she was offered an honorary scholarship from the Mikael Tariverdiev Creative Heritage Charity Fund to advance her performing career. Since then, she has appeared in numerous projects presented by the Tariverdiev Fund, performing Tariverdiev’s compositions, including the mono-opera “The Waiting”, and the concerto for the coloratura soprano “Expectation”. In 2010 she debuted at the historical Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow with the State Symphony Orchestra New Russia under the baton of world-known conductor Yury Bashmet, and in Vienna Musikverein with the Donau Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ms. Schaeffer is a laureate of a number of international vocal competitions including: 1^st Prize at Victoria International Vocal Competition, Special Prize at Romansiada International Vocal Contest of Romance, Special Prize at Sviridov Chamber Vocal Competition, and 25th Glinka International Vocal Contest where she was awarded a Special Prize “For the Best Performance of Work Written After 1975”. She has participated at prestigious international festivals including: Festival International d’Aix-en-Provence (France); North Aegean Music Festival (Greece); Opera Apriori (Russia); Fermata International Festival (Russia); Vyatka Spring (Russia); From Baroque to Mozart (Russia); and Organ Plus (Russia). Ms. Schaeffer appeared in a number of operatic roles including: Podtochina’s daughter in Shostakovich’s “The Nose” and first flower-maiden in Wagner’s “Parsifal” with the National Opera de Lyon in France; Nerina in Haydn’s “La Fedeltà Premiata” and Arsena in Strauss’ “Die Zigeunerbaron” with the International Opera Academy in Vienna; Queen of the Night in Mozart’s “Magic Flute” with the Opera Burg Gars in Austria and with the Wuxi Grand Theater in China; Kate in Periklis Liakakis’s “Chodorkowski” with Greek Opera Theater; and Anastasia in Alexander Wagendristel’s “Ewiger Frieden” with Siren Opera Theater in Vienna, Austria.

In addition to an internationally active career in performing, Ms. Schaeffer has been teaching for seven years. Currently she is instructing at Franz Schubert Conservatory in Vienna, Austria. Ms. Schaeffer is also the founder and choral director of the Viennese Freudvolles Tönen choir.

To learn more about Ms. Schaeffer visit her personal website: https://www.tehmineschaeffer.com

Dr. Nara Shahbazyan

Cello, Chamber Music, Piano

Preparation for CM Certificate of Merit exams, competitions, auditions, festivals, and college admissions

Dr. Nara Shahbazyan is a highly accomplished concert cellist and music educator.  She has performed and recorded extensively throughout the United States, Eastern and Western Europe, and the Middle East. Her appearances and recordings include performances at renowned venues such as Boston Symphony Hall, the Berliner Philharmonie, Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, Berklee College of Music, Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, Germany, Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall in Yerevan, Armenia, and National Sawdust in New York City, as well as prestigious arenas such as Madison Square Garden in NYC, Crypto Arena in Los Angeles, TD Garden in Boston, and the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, just to name a few. She has performed alongside many world-known classical and popular artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Yefim Bronfman, Pinchas Zukerman, Vadim Gluzman, Augustin Hadelich, Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Sarah Brightman, 2CELLOS, Il Divo, and Evanescence, amongst many others. She has participated in numerous national and international music festivals including: the Salzburg Summer Music Chamber Institute, the Bach 2000 Festival, the Seville Opera Festival, the Babylon International Festival, the New York City InCite Festival, the Echternach Orchestra Festival, and Tuft University’s Festival of Contemporary Music.

Dr. Shahbazyan has been teaching cello, chamber music, piano, music theory and history, and has been leading string ensembles at higher institutions and music schools for over 20 years. She has been a cello professor, served as the cellist of the Stonehill Faculty Trio, and was the Director of the String Ensemble at Stonehill College, as well as a music history and theory professor at Dean College in Massachusetts. Currently, Dr. Shahbazyan is the Associate Director and the Cellist of award-winning multimedia contemporary music consort Ensemble/Parallax. Dr. Shahbazyan is also on the faculty of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School where she teaches cello, piano, and chamber music. She is the Vice President of West LA Branch of the Music Teachers’ Association of California, and an Honored Listee on Marquis Who’s Who. Dr. Shahbazyan received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Cello Performance from Boston University.

To learn more about Dr. Shahbazyan visit her personal website: https://www.narashahbazyan.com