Kavafian, Ani
Kavafian, Ani
Kavafian, Ani, gifted Turkish-born American violinist of Armenian descent, sister of Ida Kavafian ; b. Istanbul, May 10, 1948. In 1956 she went with her family to the U.S., where she took violin lessons with Ara Zerounian (1957–62) and Mischakoff (1962–66) in Detroit. She then entered the Juilliard School of Music in N.Y., where she received instruction in violin from Galamian and in chamber music performance from Galimir and members of the Juilliard Quartet (M.A., 1972). In 1969 she made her debut at Carnegie Recital Hall in N.Y.; her European debut followed in Paris in 1973. In 1976 she received the Avery Fisher Prize. She appeared as soloist with the leading orchs.; also played chamber music concerts, serving as an artist-member of the Chamber Music Soc. of Lincoln Center (from 1980); likewise gave duo performances with her sister. She taught at the Mannes Coll. of Music (from 1982), and at the Manhattan School of Music and Queens Coll. of the City Univ. of N.Y. (from 1983). On Sept. 24, 1993, she was soloist in the premiere of Machover’s Forever and Ever, a concerto for Hyperviolin and Chamber Orch., with Hugh Wolff and the St. Paul (Minn.) Chamber Orch.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire