Daja Yavasharian

Infobox musical artist
Name = Daja Yavasharian


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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Born = August 14, 1981
Origin = flagicon|Armenia Yerevan, Armenia
Instrument = Violin
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Occupation = Composer
Musician
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Daja Yavasharian ( _hy. Դաղա Յավասհարիան b. Aug 14, 1981) is an American violinist and composer. He is of Armenian heritage.

Early life

Yavasharian was born in Yerevan, Armenia to Aram and Lilit Yavasharian, both professional musicians in the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra. At the age of 5, Yavasharian and his family moved to Los Angeles, California. It was in the United States that his love for music developed. Aram would give his son, Daja, daily violin lessons with the hope of having the legacy of music continue throughout their family. The younger Yavasharian quickly progressed and won his first concerto competition at the age of 14 years old, after a particularly riveting performance of Tchaikovsky's Violin concerto. He eventually become concertmaster of his high school's orchestra and was admitted to the Juilliard School.

Juilliard

At Juilliard, Yavasharian would continue in the footsteps of his father. Aram Yavasharian was a Juilliard alumni who had previously studied under the direction of the late Armenian violinist Ivan Galamian. Determined to be as successful as his father was, Daja practiced 7-8 hours everyday with the hopes of becoming one of the best violinists at the music academy. His hard work paid off as Yavasharian became principal 1st violinist during his third year with the Juilliard Orchestra. Overall, he had a successful career at Juilliard, and earned the respect of his peers and instructors as a charismatic performer with precise technique and luscious interpretation.

Current life

Currently, Daja Yavasharian is on tour as a solo violinist. He has made several concert appearances with many well-known orchestras such as the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra, and most recently the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also performed extensively with various chamber music groups. Yavasharian, along with Joshua Bell, and Nigel Kennedy, Gil Shaham, and Hilary Hahn, is part of a new generation of young talented solo violinists that is striving to take the places of famous legends such as Jascha Heifetz, Itzhak Perlman, Isaac Stern, Yehudi Menuhin, Pinchas Zukerman, David Oistrakh, Igor Oistrakh, and Henryk Szeryng.

Quotes

*"If you play me violin, I can tell you who you are."
*"Music can help us face our deepest fears and express our greatest joys."