Ida Kavafian, Artistic Director

Biography

Ida Kavafian enjoys an international reputation as one of the most versatile musicians performing today. With a repertoire as diverse as her talents, Ms. Kavafian has electrified recital and orchestral stages nationally and internationally and her commitment to contemporary music has led to many world premieres by composers as varied as Toru Takemitsu, who wrote a concerto for her, and jazz greats Chick Corea and Wynton Marsalis, both of whom with which she has toured and recorded. Her television credits include a solo feature on CBS Sunday Morning.

Since her founding membership in the innovative group TASHI over thirty years ago, Ida Kavafian’s chamber music appearances have included many renowned festivals and series throughout the world. She has toured and recorded with the Guarneri, Orion and American Quartets as well as the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, of which she is an Artist Member. She and her sister, Ani continue to perform together regularly in recital and with major orchestras. Their television credits together include features on CBS Sunday Morning and NBC’s Today Show, and they have recorded for Nonesuch.

Ms. Ida Kavafian was the violinist of the legendary Beaux Arts Trio for six years. Some of their honors during her tenure included being named "Ensemble of the Year" by Musical America in 1997 and a 1998 Grammy nomination. More recently, she co-founded the exciting ensemble, OPUS ONE, along with pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, violist Steven Tenenbom and cellist Peter Wiley.

For twenty-three years, Ida Kavafian has been the Artistic Director of Music from Angel Fire in New Mexico. She also founded and guided Bravo! Colorado in Vail as Music Director for ten years, building it into one of the leading festivals in the country. As an educator, she is on the faculty of the Curtis Institute and the new Conservatory of Music at Bard College, and has served on numerous competition juries and boards, including Chamber Music America.

Recent highlights include the World Premiere of Michael Daugherty’s concerto, “Fire and Blood” which Ms. Kavafian performed with the Detroit Symphony under the direction of Neeme Jarvi, at Carnegie Hall with the America Composers Orchestra and with the National Symphony of Mexico in Mexico City. Ms. Kavafian opened the 06-07 season of the NM Symphony in Albuquerque with this work on the weekend following last season’s MFAF festival.

Born in Istanbul, Turkey of Armenian descent, Ms. Kavafian’s family immigrated to the United States when she was three, settling in Detroit. She began her studies at age six with Ara Zerounian, continuing with Mischa Mischakoff, and ultimately earned her Master of Music degree with honors from The Juilliard School. Ms. Kavafian made her New York debut at the 92nd Street "Y" with pianist Peter Serkin as a winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions. She was a recipient of the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1988. Her violin is a J.B. Guadagnini made in Milan in 1751 and Peter and Wendela Moes made her viola in 1987.

Ida Kavafian resides in Connecticut and Philadelphia, where she and her husband, violist Steven Tenenbom can be found passionately pursuing their hobby of breeding, training and showing prize winning champion Hungarian Vizsla dogs under the kennel name, "Opus One Vizslas". Excelling as much in this area as in music, they bred and own the 2003 Number One Vizsla in the country.