Nareh Arghamanyan began piano studies at the age of five. At the age of eight, she entered the Tchaikovsky Music School for Talented Children in Yerevan, where she studied with Alexander Gurgenov. In 2004, she became the youngest student to be admitted to the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna and studied with Heinz Medjimorec. In her early twenties, Arghamanyan won the 2008 Montreal International Music Competition. The season 2009-2010 saw Arghamanyan making a New York debut at the Frick collection as well as at San Francisco Performances, resulting in a re-invitation to their "Young Master Series" in 2011. Further recitals include Miami, Detroit, Minneapolis, Kansas City, San Juan, and Fresno. In concert she performed Saint-Saëns 5th concerto with the Winnipeg Symphony, the Saint-Saëns 2nd and Mozart double concerto with I Musici de Montreal, and the “Emperor” Concerto with the McGill Chamber Orchestra. Arghamanyan has appeared with the Mont Blanc Symphony France, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Armenian Philharmonic, and the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia. Arghamanyan performed with the Orchestre Metropolitan under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Vienna Symphony at the Bregenz Festival 2011 under Xian Zhang as well as the Vancouver Symphony with James Gaffigan. Recital highlights include her debut at the Portland International Piano Series as well as the Singapore International Piano Festival. This past summer, Arghamanyan attended the prestigious Marlboro Festival, where she will return in 2011, as well as at Tanglewood music festival, Domaine Forget Quebec, the Festival International de Lanaudière and at the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Arghamanyan has appeared at many festivals internationally including the Colmar Festival at the invitation of violinist Vladimir Spivakov, and a recital at Palais d’Athenée in Geneva. In 2006 she appeared on the Chamber Music San Francisco Music Series under the auspices of the Guzik Foundation, and in 2004 was a soloist with the Mont Blanc Symphony France in the Grieg Piano Concerto. Recitals in 2003 brought Ms. Arghamanyan to New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington DC, and in 2002, highlight engagements included those with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, in Moscow, and with the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia in Yerevan and Berlin She has made several recordings, including two for Pentatone, one with Liszt's two piano concertos, and another of piano pieces by Rachmaninov. She also recorded Rachmaninov's second piano sonata and Liszt's B minor piano sonata for Analekta.
Awards
Arghamanyan has been the 1st Prize recipient at the 2007 Piano Campus International Competition in Pontoise and took the second Prize at the 2007 Jose Roca International Competition in Valencia. In 2005 she won the Josef Dichler Piano Competition in Vienna, and the following year was awarded a scholarship from the Herbert von Karajan Foundation. Her first major recognition came at the Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competition in Salt Lake City 2000 where, at the age of 11, she was the 2nd Prize winner, predicted by critics to have “ a major international career” and praised for her virtuosity and sense of artistry.
Competition prizes record
2009 “Sparkasse Wortersee” Competition in Austria, 1st prize.
2008 Montreal International Musical Competition, 1st prize.
2007 Piano Campus International piano competition, Pontoise, 1st prize.
2007 José Roca International piano competition, Valencia, 2nd prize.
2006 One-year scholarship award from the Herbert Von Karajan Foundation Vienna.
2005 Dr. Josef Dichler competition Austria, 1st prize.
2003 Seiler Piano Competition, Kitzingen|Germany, 4th prize.
2000 Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competition USA, 2nd prize.
1999 Armenian Legacy, First National piano competition Armenia, 1st prize.
1998 International Competition "Little Prince" for young talents in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, 1st prize.
Franz Liszt The 2 Piano Concertos - Totentanz - Fantasy on Hungarian Folk Tunes. Nareh Arghamanyan, Alain Altinoglu, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. PENTATONE PTC 5186397
Sergei Rachmaninov - Piano Pieces. Nareh Arghamanyan. PENTATONE PTC 5186399.