Boris Allakhverdyan
Lecturer - Clarinet Performance, Principal Clarinet LA Philharmonic

Boris Allakhverdyan was appointed Principal Clarinet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2016. He previously served as Principal Clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the Associate Principal Clarinet of the Kansas City Symphony. Allakhverdyan is a founding member of the Prima Trio, the Grand Prize and the Gold Medal winner of the prestigious 2007 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

The New York Times called his performance “inspired” and “superlative,” and the Los Angeles Times praised his “energetic, vibrant solos.”

Allakhverdyan has appeared as a soloist with the Seattle, Tucson, Bakersfield and Springfield Symphony Orchestras as well as orchestras in Russia, Armenia and Kazakhstan. He has participated in the Lucerne Festival Academy in Switzerland, the Mecklenburg-Vorpommen Festival in Germany and the Emilia Romagna Music Festival in Italy. Allakhverdyan is a winner of Rimsky-Korsakov International Woodwind Competition, Rozanov International Clarinet Competition, Hellam Concerto Competition, the Tuesday Musical and the Oberlin Concerto competitions.

Allakhverdyan serves on the clarinet faculty at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music as well as at California State University at Fullerton. He previously taught at Peabody Institute of Music, Pacific Music Festival in Japan and Interlochen Clarinet Institute in Michigan. He has given master classes at most prestigious schools in North and South Americas, Europe and Asia. As a chamber musician, Allakhverdyan has performed throughout the United States and Europe on such series as Chicago Chamber Music Society, La Jolla Athenaeum, Dumbarton Oaks, the Dayton Art Institute, CityMusic Columbus, Da Camera Society, Fontana Chamber Arts and Cleveland Chamber Music Society.

As a Buffet Group Artist and Vandoren Performing Artist, Allakhverdyan performs exclusively on Buffet Crampon clarinets and Vandoren reeds.

67th GRAMMY Award Winners
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is proud to share that faculty and alumni were well represented at the 67th GRAMMY Awards. In all, thirteen faculty and six alums
GRAMMY Award Nominations in 2024
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is proud to share that faculty and alumni were well represented at this year’s GRAMMY Awards. In all, thirteen faculty and six alums
Department of Music Welcomes Four Exceptional Studio Faculty
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is pleased to announce that four exemplary artists have accepted their offer of an appointment in the Department of Music, including award-winning violist

Related Members

See All Music Faculty
Jens Lindemann
Distinguished Professor - Trumpet Performance
Inna Faliks
Professor - Head of Piano Performance

Explore Other Degrees

Conducting
Graduate study and training in choral, orchestral, or wind conducting
Ethnomusicology
The study of global musical traditions through performance training, research, and field work
Global Jazz Studies
Jazz performance and musicianship courses are paired with African American Studies
Music Composition
Mentorship in the creation and realization of music for concerts, opera, and visual media
Music Education
Preparation for music educators leading to a BA and teaching credential in just four years
Music Industry
A leadership-focused professional degree which prepares students to transform the creative, entrepreneurial, and executive structures of the music industry
Musicology
The scholarly study of the histories, cultures, and critical interpretations of music and music-making
Music Performance
Study and training towards professional performance careers in Western classical music