Ida Kavafian, violin/viola

Internationally acclaimed as a violist as well as violinist, Ida Kavafian is an artist-member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and former violinist of the Beaux Arts Trio. She performs as a soloist; in recital with her sister, Ani; as a guest with distinguished ensembles; and as artistic director of Music from Angel Fire in New Mexico. She is founder of the Bravo! Colorado festival and cofounder of the chamber ensembles Tashi and Opus One.

Ms. Kavafian has premiered numerous works, including concertos by Toru Takemitsu and Michael Daugherty. She has toured and recorded with jazz greats Chick Corea and Wynton Marsalis, and fiddler/composer Mark O’Connor and has had a solo feature on CBS Sunday Morning.

Recent recordings include Fire and Blood by Michael Daugherty with the Detroit Symphony and O’Connor’s String Quartets, recorded with the composer.

Born in Istanbul of Armenian parentage, Ms. Kavafian is a graduate of the Juilliard School, where she studied with Oscar Shumsky. She made her debut under Young Concert Artists with the pianist Peter Serkin, and also received the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant.

She resides with her husband, violist Steven Tenenbom, in Philadelphia and Connecticut, where they breed and train prizewinning Hungarian vizsla show dogs.

Ms. Kavafian teaches at the Bard College Conservatory of Music, Julliard, and joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 1998.