Karén Hakobyan

Described as “a musician of abundant gifts and bountiful ideas” by New York Concert Review and “an immensely talented and dynamic performer” by Deseret Morning News, Armenian-American conductor, pianist, and composer Karén Hakobyan is a versatile force on the international music scene. Since making his Carnegie Hall debut at age seventeen, he has performed in major concert halls across Armenia, Argentina, Mexico, Germany, the UK, Belgium, France, Japan, and the United States. Karén is a frequent presence at prestigious festivals and concert series. Highlights include performances at the Lille International Piano(s) Festival (2005, Lille, France), The Pianist as Composer Festival (2008, New York), Keys to the Future Contemporary Music Festival (2009–2010, New York), the Gina Bachauer International Festival (2015, Utah), Festival Musique d'Abord (2017, Barbizon, France), and the Philip Lorenz International Keyboard Concerts (2018, California).

Karén Hakobyan is the Founder, Principal Conductor, and Artistic Director of Pegasus: The Orchestra, based in New York. As part of Pegasus’s Fifth Anniversary Season (2022–2023), he conducted all five Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos with five soloists in a single evening at Lincoln Center, earning widespread critical acclaim. He also led a special program featuring Glenn Dicterow, former concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, and Pegasus concertmaster Eiko Kano in Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins. David Wright of New York Classical Review praised the performance, writing, “Hakobyan and his players punched out an incisive ritornello and snappy answers to the soloists, while Glenn Dicterow and Eiko Kano played an exhilarating game of stretto tag.”

The Fanfare magazine described Hakobyan's Brahms Fourth Symphony as “a shattering experience, not to be missed.” Notable conducting engagements include leading the Armenian National Chamber Orchestra in Armenia and the Ryukyu Symphony Orchestra, combined with top principals from Tokyo, in Japan. Upcoming engagements include a Carnegie Hall debut and a Merkin Hall performance featuring 2007 Tchaikovsky International Competition gold medalist Sergey Antonov performing Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations. A multi-city USA tour is also planned, showcasing the program “Americana,” celebrating the centennial of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

Karén is a top prizewinner in multiple international piano and composition competitions and holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music, and the University of Utah. He has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras across several continents. His recordings have been broadcast on WQXR Radio (New York City), WFMT Radio (Chicago), WSKG Radio (New York), Argentine National Radio, Monterrey’s Op. 102 (Mexico), Armenian National Radio, Al Jazeera TV, Public TV of Armenia, and Voice of America TV (International).

More information can be found on his website.