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Boris Allakhverdyan, Associate Principal Clarinet
Boris Allakhverdyan was appointed Associate Principal Clarinet of the Kansas City Symphony in August 2009. He is a founding member of the Prima Trio (www.primatrio.com), the Grand Prize and Gold Medal winner of the prestigious 2007 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Mr. Allakhverdyan also serves as Principal Clarinet of the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra in Boulder, Colorado. Born in Baku, Azerbaijan of Armenian descent, Boris started taking clarinet lessons from his father at the age of 9, shortly after his family moved to Russia. He received his B.M. from the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory in 2006, his Artist Diploma Degree from the Oberlin Conservatory in 2008 and his M.M. from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2010. His principal teachers include Franklin Cohen, Richard Hawkins, Rafael Bagdasarian and Valery Allakhverdyan. A first-prize winner of the Hellam Competition, the Tuesday Musical Competition and the Oberlin Concerto Competition, Mr. Allakhverdyan appeared as a soloist with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the Kremlin Chamber Orchestra and the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra. Boris has also performed with The Cleveland Orchestra on several occasions and participated in the Lucerne Festival Academy (under the direction of Pierre Boulez), the Mecklenburg-Vorpommen Festival in Germany, the Emilia Romagna Music Festival in Italy and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. An active chamber musician, Mr. Allakhverdyan collaborates frequently with such distinguished ensembles as the St. Petersburg and La Catrina Quartets. Boris is also an active educator, having given master classes at Truman State University, Colorado Music Festival and Latin American Clarinet Academy in Caracas, Venezuela. Mr. Allakhverdyan has performed as a soloist and with orchestras in Russia, Germany, Denmark, Venezuela, Italy, Switzerland and the United States of America.
Ten questions about me:
How did you choose your instrument?
My father is a clarinetist as well, so I remember hearing him play when I was very little. I loved the sound of the clarinet and decided to play this instrument as well!
When did you know you wanted to be a professional musician?
At age 14 when I entered the pre-college division of Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory.
What year did you join the Kansas City Symphony
2009
What songs/albums are in your iPod/MP3 Player/CD Player right now?
Armenian Folk Music, Stravinsky, Mozart, Beethoven with von Karajan, Brahms, Mahler, Rachmaninov, and Prokofiev.
Who is your most inspiring composer?
Stravinsky
What is the best part about being a musician in the Kansas City Symphony?
I love the people here.
What is your most memorable performance with the Kansas City Symphony?
Concert with Gil Shaham in January 2010.
Tell us about your family and your hobbies.
Both of my parents are musicians. My mother is a pianist and my father is a clarinetist. I also have an older sister who is a speech therapist back in Russia. My hobbies include playing soccer and basketball, reading and cooking.
What is your favorite city that you've visited or lived in and why?
Florence, Italy.
What quality do you most admire in others?
Honesty.