Profile
Edmond Agopian, violinist, professor of violin, and conductor, was recently awarded the Alberta Centennial Medal “ in recognition of outstanding service to the people and province of Alberta”. At the University of Calgary, he holds the John Roberts Distinguished Professorship Chair in Fine Arts. Edmond Agopian graduated from the Juilliard School with a Master of Music Degree in Violin, and from the International Music Academy (Lugano, Switzerland) with an Honours Diploma in Conducting. His violin playing has received accolades for both his recordings and performances: “One of the best recordings of the year…” (Off the Record, CBC Radio) “His performance…was a triumph, both of technique and integration.” (The Toronto Star) He has performed in Canada, Taiwan, the United States and Europe, and has been featured on CBC Radio regional and national broadcasts. A champion of Canadian music, he has premiered dozens of works by Canadian composers, including works he has himself commissioned, and as past member of the New Works Calgary Ensemble. He is the first violinist of the U of C String Quartet in Residence and is the music director/concertmaster of Calgary’s professional string orchestra, the Kensington Sinfonia. He has been Music Director of the Calgary Youth Orchestra since 2002, and has been on the faculty of the Morningside Music Bridge program at Mount Royal College Conservatory since 1996. He is also the founder and artistic director of U of C’s chamber music festival Contrasts.
Orchestras he has conducted include the Calgary Philharmonic, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Orchestra London, the Hamilton Philharmonic and the Festival del Piccolo Mondo Antico Orchestra in Italy. Under his direction, the University of Calgary Orchestra released its first recording, which was described by the Calgary music critique Bob Clark as a “hands-down winner”.
Mr. Agopian moved to Calgary in 1991 to take the positions of Professor of Violin and Conductor at the University of Calgary, and Artist-in-Residence at Mount Royal College Conservatory. Violin students of Edmond Agopian have won national and international awards and have performed as soloists with professional orchestras. They are now members of such ensembles as the renowned Borromeo String Quartet, the Montreal Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Calgary Philharmonic (Assistant Concertmaster), the Edmonton Symphony, the Winnipeg Symphony, etc. His violin method The No Time to Practice Technique Companion is on SHAR Music Company’s bestseller list.
