Kim Kashkashian Wins Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—On Feb. 10, Armenian-American violist Kim Kashkashian won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo.

The award for Kashkashian’s recording “Kurtág & Ligeti: Music for Viola” was announced at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center in LA.

Kim Kashkashian (Photo by Steve Riskind)
Kim Kashkashian (Photo by Steve Riskind)

Kashkashian has established herself as one of the most accomplished artists of her generation. Inspiring world-wide critical acclaim, she has been hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “an artist who combines a probing, restless musical intellect with enormous beauty of tone.” The New York Times has joined in these accolades, praising her “rich, mellow timbre and impressive artistry.”

In recent seasons, Kim Kashkashian has appeared as soloist with the major orchestras of New York, Berlin, London, Munich, and Tokyo. Her recital appearances take her to Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, San Francisco, Cleveland, and Los Angeles.

Kashkashian has made guest appearances with the Tokyo, Guarneri, and Galimir Quartets and toured with a unique quartet that included violinists Gidon Kremer and Daniel Phillips and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Her June 2000 recording of concertos by Bartók, Eötvös and Kurtág won the 2001 Cannes Classical Award for a premiere recording by soloist with orchestra. In January 2002, ECM New Series released Voci, her recording of two large works by Luciano Berio. The album comprises the title work for viola and orchestra as well as Naturale, a related work for viola and percussion (Robyn Schulkowsky), and archival field recordings of Sicilian folk music. Hayren and Monodia, released in 2003 and 2004, respectively, focus on Kashkashian’s work with the Armenian composer Tigran Mansurian.

Kashkashian’s extensive teaching activities have included professorships at the University of Indiana in Bloomington and at Conservatories in Freiburg and Berlin, Germany. In September 2000, she began teaching viola and chamber music at the New England Conservatory in Boston.

Born in Detroit, Mich., of Armenian descent, Kashkashian graduated from the Peabody Conservatory of Music where she studied with Walter Trampler and Karen Tuttle.

(Source for bio: http://necmusic.edu/faculty/kim-kashkashian?lid=2&sid=3)

9 Comments

  1. Oh my! i thought it said Kim Kardahsian won a grammy for her violin solo…I was really surprised and happy she was honing on some talent…but congrats to Kim Karkashian, the real deal, now that’s amazing.

  2. Finally someone with the initials KK whom I can respect instead of being repulsed. She is probably one of very few Armenian violists out there too.

  3. A true national treasure…you can hear her live in recital at the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall on March 28 at 8 PM.

    Kim also leads the Music For Food Concert Series to raise awareness and funds for
    the Greater Boston Food Bank. She performs with colleagues on Feb 18, again
    at NEC.

  4. I met Kim two times on occasion of her concerts in Germany. The first time at the town of Aschaffenburg. After her concert we talked about her Mother who came from Gürün/Turkey. I told her that I planned to visit Turkey and asked her, whether she would like to have a photo of Gürün as a gift for her Mum. She seemed to be pleased by that idea, though I was sure she didn´nt believe me
    Some years later after a concert at Cologne/Germany I again met her behind the stage and gave her the promised photo which I had enlarged and framed.

  5. Dear Kim
    Congrats …and many congrats…
    Our artful race is singing with you
    And many others who heard your tunes…
    And saw your beautiful serenade dative hands
    Hymning with quartets of Gomidas…!!!
    SP

  6. Why is there never a mention of the wonderful jazz album ‘In Praise of Dreams’ made with Jan Garbarek and Manu Katche?

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