Additional language spoken: Armenian

Composer Vartan Aghababian began piano studies at the age of eight, and soon after started composing. His grammar school years of music study were infused with Orff Schulwerke and Dalcroze Eurhythmics; in the years which followed, his private studies were augmented to include the recorder, the oboe and English horn, voice and dance. His experience includes performances in choirs, orchestras, wind ensembles as well as many solo and chamber performances. Vartan studied with William Bolcom and Leslie Bassett during his undergraduate years (BM, 1987) at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and afterwards with James Hartway of Wayne State University (Detroit). After receiving a diploma in film scoring from the Berklee College of Music (Boston), he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a film music editor with Warner Brothers Studios (Burbank).

Following two years in southern California, Mr. Aghababian returned to Boston to work as a freelance composer, scoring short documentary films and composing on commission. He completed his Master of Music degree (2002) in composition at the Longy School of Music (Cambridge, MA), studying with Eric Sawyer. He recently completed his Doctoral of Musical studies in composition at Boston University (2008), studying with Samuel Headrick. His music has been performed across the United States, in East Asia and Europe. Currently Mr. Aghababian is the Composer-in-Residence for the vocal ensemble Recuerdo (Cambridge, MA), a position which he has held for six years. In addition to WCMS, he joined the faculty of the South Shore Conservatory in 2008, and is a member of the music theory and composition faculties at Longy School of Music. Additionally he directs chamber ensembles at the Boston University Academy and Longy. He teaches privately and continues to compose on commission.

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