Varo Khachatryan
Waltons New School of Music Faculty
Hailing from Armenia, Varo began playing the piano at the age of five. In 1998 he entered Yerevan State Conservatory and graduated with distinction in Piano and Choral Conducting. He went on to obtain MMus degrees in both areas, as well as an Aspirantura (advanced postgraduate degree) in Piano Performance from Yerevan State Conservatory, followed by PgDip (Postgraduate Diploma) and MMus degrees in Piano Performance as well as an MMus in Piano Accompaniment from Birmingham Conservatory. He came to Ireland and was awarded a Fiosraigh full scholarship by the TU Dublin Conservatoire, where he received a PhD degree with a performance and thesis re-assessing Sergei Rachmaninoff’s musical legacy. Varo has performed extensively as a soloist in his home country and abroad, with recent recital performances in the UK, the Netherlands, Armenia, Russia, Lebanon, Syria and the Czech Republic. His solo performances have received high praise from audiences and music critics alike, and he has won numerous prestigious awards, including first prize in the Peter Donohoe Piano Competition and the Delia Hall Accompanist Prize. He also regularly performs as an accompanist, chamber musician and choral conductor. Varo was among a select group of young musicians who participated in a state campaign to raise awareness and encourage young pianists in Armenia. He has taught with the New School since 2016. ‘From the very start, the most important task for any piano player – even before developing technique – is to learn how to produce a beautiful sound. My approach is to teach students to be independent musicians and problem solvers who can one day enjoy learning new pieces without anyone’s help. In fact, I believe that the word ‘student’ should be replaced with artist, musician or in my case, pianist.’
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