A highly accomplished solo, chamber, and orchestral musician, Dr. Nara Shahbazyan has performed and recorded extensively throughout Armenia, Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. She has served as a principal cellist with the Alan Hovhaness Chamber Orchestra, the Miami University Symphony, the Florida State University Symphony, Boston University Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, and the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra. She has participated in numerous music festivals such as the Salzburg Summer Music Chamber Institute, the Bach 2000 Festival, the Seville Opera Festival, the Babylon International Festival, the New York City InCite Festival, the Echternach Orchestra Festival, and Tuft’s University’s Festival of Contemporary Music. She has performed with the Tallahassee Symphony, Northwest Florida Symphony, Albany Symphony, and Valdosta Symphony Orchestras. She is currently a member of the New Bedford Symphony and the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra, and is also a cello instructor at Brookline Music School and Musical Arts Academy where she teaches cello and piano.
Dr. Shahbazyan received a full scholarship and assistantship throughout her studies at Boston University where she was awarded her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in cello performance, at Miami University where she received her Master of Music degree, at Florida State University, and at the Yerevan State Conservatory where she received undergraduate and graduate degrees. During her studies, she was an active chamber musician in ensembles such as the Contemporary String Quartet of Yerevan State Conservatory, the Armenian String Trio at Miami University, and the Eppes String Quartet at Florida State University.