Movses Pogossian made his American debut performing the Tchaikovsky Concerto with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall in 1990, about which Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe wrote: “There is freedom in his playing, but also taste and discipline. It was a fiery, centered, and highly musical performance…” Movses Pogossian has since performed with orchestras such as the Brandenburger Symphoniker and the Halle Philharmonic in Germany, the Sudety Philharmonic in Poland, the Tucson Symphony, the El Paso Symphony, the Scandinavian Chamber Orchestra of New York, and the Toronto Sinfonia. His recent and upcoming performances include recitals in New York, Boston, Ann Arbor, and concerts in Korea, Japan, Germany, Canada, and Armenia. Pogossian was one of the 2016/17 Artists in Residence of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and performed the Mansurian Concerto No. 2 at their season-opening concerts, conducted by Jeffrey Kahane.

He is a Prizewinner of the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Competition, and the youngest-ever First Prize winner of the 1985 USSR National Violin Competition, previous winners of which included David Oistrakh and Gidon Kremer. An active chamber musician, Pogossian has performed with members of the Tokyo, Kronos, and Brentano string quartets, and with such artists as Kim Kashkashian, Jeremy Denk, Lynn Harrell, Ani and Ida Kavafian, and Rohan de Saram. He frequently collaborates with the Apple Hill Chamber Players, teaching annually at their summer music festival in New Hampshire. Movses Pogossian is the Artistic Director of the critically acclaimed Dilijan Chamber Music Series, which performs at Zipper Hall in downtown Los Angeles, and is currently in its fIfteenth season (https://dilijan.larkmusicalsociety.org).

A committed propagate of new music, Pogossian has premiered over 80 works, and works closely with composers such as G. Kurtág, K. Saariaho, T. Mansurian, A. R. Thomas, P. Chihara, and Gabriela Lena Frank. His recently formed Duo with remarkable Japanese percussionist Kuniko Kato has commissioned several works for this unusual medium. In Los Angeles, Pogossian frequently performs on Monday Evening Concerts, and is the recipient of the 2011 Forte Award from Jacaranda, given for outstanding contributions to the promotion of new music and modern music.

His discography includes Complete Sonatas and Partitas by J. S. Bach and solo violin CDs “Inspired by Bach”, “Blooming Sounds”, and “In Nomine”. The 2009 release of G. Kurtag’s “Kafka Fragments” for soprano and violin on Bridge label (with Tony Arnold) includes a unique video documentary on the work with the composer, and a DVD of an unedited live performance. In his review of the recording, Paul Griffiths writes: “…remarkable is Pogossian’s contribution, which is always beautiful, across a great range of colors and gestures, and always seems on the edge of speaking—or beyond.” The recent Bridge Records CD of Complete Violin Works of Stefan Wolpe made the 2015 Top Ten list in Sunday Times (UK). Upcoming releases include a Schoenberg/Webern DVD, recorded at Schoenberg’s Brentwood home (with Kim Kashkashian, Rohan de Saram, and Judith Gordon), and a double album of Chamber Music of Tigran Mansurian, with Kim Kashkashian.

Since earning his advanced degrees from the Komitas Conservatory in Armenia and the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music in Moscow, Mr. Pogossian has held teaching positions at Duquesne, Bowling Green, Wayne State, and SUNY Buffalo Universities. His principal teachers were L. Zorian, V. Mokatsian, V. Klimov, and legendary Louis Krasner. Movses Pogossian is currently Professor of Violin at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, as well as Founder/Director of the UCLA Armenian Music Program. He participates in the Music for Food project, which raises awareness of the hunger problem and gives the opportunity to experience the powerful role music can play as a catalyst for change.

Varty Manouelian made her American Debut in 1993 with the North Carolina Symphony as First Prize winner of the Bryan International Competition. Shehas also been a prize winner at anumber of other competitions in Europe, including the Kotzian International Competition and the Wieniawski International Violin Competition. Manouelian has recorded and appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras in the United States, Bulgaria, Russia, Armenia, Poland, Spain and Italy. Her chamber music performances include Marlboro Music Festival, Apple Hill Festival, Sebago Festival, El Paso Festival, Olympic Music Festival, among others. She has collaborated as a chamber musician with such artists as Joshua Bell, Yuja Wang, Kim Kashkashian, Rohan de Saram, Garrick Ohlsson, Nobuko Imai, Thomas Adès, and members of the Juilliard, Guarner, Tokyo, Brentano, Borromeo, and Mendelssohn string quartets.

Dedicated teacher and educator, Varty Manouelian is a Lecturer of Violin at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, teaches violin and chamber music at the Colburn Academy and CSPA, and spends summers coaching chamber music at the Apple Hill Festival in New Hampshire. She has been an active participant at LA Philharmonic’s Music Outreach programs, having taught at YOLA since its inception, as well as at the Renaissance Arts Academy.

Prior to joining the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2004, Manouelian was a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. In Los Angeles, she frequently performs at the Los Angels Philharmonic’s Chamber Music Society and Green Umbrella new-music series, as well as at Camerata Pacifica, Monday Evening Concerts, and the Dilijan Series. Her recording credits include archival radio recordings for the Bulgarian State Radio, and CDs on Albany and Bridge Records labels. Her recent CD of Complete Violin Works of Stefan Wolpe (jointly with Movses Pogossian) made the 2015 Top Ten list in Sunday Times (UK). Varty Manouelian holds degrees from the State Music Academy in Bulgaria and the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Boyan Letchev and Donald Weilerstein.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, violinist Ji Young An studied violin performance at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris with Olivier Charlier and Joanna Matkowska, awarded Premier Prix in 2007. An furthered her studies in violin performance at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music with Guillaume Sutre, graduating with her Master’s and Doctoral degrees. She has also studied closely with renowned violinists such as Maryvonne Le Dizes, Régis Pasquier, Movses Pogossian and Alexander Treger.

Since 2013, she has been the Associate Concertmaster with the San Bernardino Symphony, and in 2014 joined the Santa Barbara Symphony. She has been serving as Principal Second Violin with Opera Santa Barbara since 2015. An is also an active recording musician, performing in major movie and video game music sessions.

Passionate about teaching, An served as Visiting Lecturer in Violin at UCLA during the 2014 Winter Quarter, filling in for Prof. Movses Pogossian during his sabbatical. She has also been in demand as a chamber music coach at the Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences Elizabeth Mandell Music Institute (EMMI) since 2015. When not performing or teaching in school, An maintains a full private studio from home.

Taiwanese-American violist Che-Yen Chen has established himself as an active performer and educator. Since winning First Prize in the 2003 Primrose International Viola Competition and the “President Prize” of the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, he was described as a musician whose “most impressive aspect of his playing was his ability to find not just the subtle emotion, but the humanity hidden in the music.” As the founding and former member of the Formosa Quartet, he won the first prize in the 2006 London International String Quartet Competition, founded the Formosa Chamber Music Festival in Taiwan, and has released recordings on EMI, Delos, New World, and Bridge Records. Chen was the principal violist of the San Diego Symphony and Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra for eight years and has appeared as guest principal with Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and Toronto Symphony. A former Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society Two member, Chen frequently performs and teaches at music festivals across North America and Asia. Professor of Viola Performance and Chamber Music at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, Chen has previously served on the faculty of USC Thornton School of Music, UC San Diego, San Diego State University, California State University Fullerton, and McGill University. A native of Taipei, Chen began his viola study with Ben Lin and became a four-time winner of the National Viola Competition in Taiwan. As a fourteen-year-old, he came to the U.S.A. to matriculate at The Curtis Institute of Music under the mentorship of Michael Tree and Joseph de Pasquale and later at The Juilliard School studying viola performance and string quartet under Paul Neubauer and The Juilliard Quartet. Chen joined the renowned Ehnes Quartet in 2023.

Cellist Ben Hong joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1993 at age 24 as a section player and six months later, he won the assistant principal cello position. He currently serves as associate principal cello, appointed by LA Phil Music Director Gustavo Dudamel in 2015. Hong also performs frequently as a soloist and as a member of chamber music ensembles. He has collaborated with such artists as Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, Janine Jansen, Lang Lang, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Sir Simon Rattle and Esa-Pekka Salonen. Concerto appearances with the LA Phil have included the U.S. premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s cello concerto Kai, with Rattle conducting at the Ojai Music Festival; the LA Phil premiere of Tan Dun’s Crouching Tiger Concerto, conducted by Long Yu at the Hollywood Bowl; and the U.S premiere of Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s concerto for cello and orchestra, en forme de pas de trois, conducted by Susanna Mälkki.

DreamWorks Pictures hired Hong to train Jamie Foxx and several other cast members of the 2009 film The Soloist. In addition, he was the featured soloist on the soundtrack, which was released on the Deutsche Grammophon label. In 2020, Hong was asked by the Los Angeles Lakers to perform a rendition of “Hallelujah” at the Staples Center as part of a pre-game tribute in memory of Kobe Bryant.

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Hong won his native country’s national cello competition three years in a row before leaving home at age 13 for the Juilliard School. Later, he studied with Lynn Harrell at the USC School of Music before joining the LA Phil.

Ally Cho’s journey through the world of music began on the shores of Gold Coast, Australia, where her passion for playing the violin began at the age of five. Her path has been an inspiring journey, crossing the Pacific Ocean to pursue her dream.

In 2018, Ally embarked on an international journey, crossing continents to the bustling metropolis of New York City. Here, under the expert guidance of Lucie Robert, she pursued her Bachelor’s degree in classical violin at the Manhattan School of Music. During her time in New York City, she discovered a deep passion for chamber music.

Today, Ally is pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she’s been awarded with a fellowship for Armenian Music. This chapter in her musical journey casts her as part of the UCLA resident quartet, VEM, under the guidance of the distinguished Movses Pogossian and Varty Manouelian. This opportunity allows her to fully explore Armenian music, arts, history and culture. It not only broadens her perspective but also strengthens her commitment to presenting a wide variety of cultural expressions in music.

Ally aspires to be an inspiring musician on and off stage. In the world of music, Ally Cho’s journey tells a story of passion, determination, and the promise of a bright future. Her musical journey continues with more chapters and achievements to come.

Jeffrey Ho is a cellist from Santa Monica, California. Currently he is a passionate performer and teacher around the Southern California region. He teaches at the Crossroads School of Arts and Architecture and previously taught at the Colburn Community School. Jeffrey began his cello studies with Antonio Lysy at the SOL-LA Music Academy.

Jeffrey enjoys performing chamber music and exploring new works and compositions. He performed at Yellowbarn, Perlman Music Program, Lake Champlain Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, Orford Arts Academy and Lunenburg Academy of Music Program. He was an Equilibrium Artist Fellow under Barbara Hanigan’s mentorship and was a Piatigorksy International Festival Fellow at USC. He was a member of the Trio Conventi with pianist Janice Lu and violinist Yiliang Jiang, and they performed throughout Boston, including at Jordan Hall. Ho has performed with his mentors and esteemed artists such as Movses Pogossian, Varty Manouelian, Kim Kashkashian, Anthony Marwood, Donald and Vivian Weilerstein, and many others. He was guest principal with the Phoenix Orchestra under Joshua Weilerstein from 2022-2023 and has performed with the San Diego Symphony.

Jeffrey earned his Bachelors of Arts degree from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, earned his Masters Degree from USC Thornton School of Music, and achieved a Graduate Diploma from the New England Conservatory of Music. He was fortunate to study with great musicians such as Antonio Lysy, Ralph Kirshbaum, Lluis Claret and Blaise Dejardin. Currently Jeffrey is pursuing his Doctorate of Musical Arts Degrees and also serves as the teaching assistant to the strings chamber music program at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and is studying with Ben Hong. He has a deep interest in the history of violin-making and is a learning and aspiring bow maker.

Adam Millstein is a violinist pursuing his DMA studies at UCLA with Varty Manouelian and Movses Pogossian. He is the recipient of a scholarship from the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience. He holds an Artist Diploma and Masters of Music degree from the Colburn School where he studied with Robert Lipsett, and a BMA from the University of Michigan. He is the Program Director of the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices at the Colburn School. He acted as curator for the Initiative’s 2021 Schulhoff and More project where he organized and performed on filmed recordings of composer Erwin Schulhoff’s music, some of which is on the album “Shapeshifter: Music of Erwin Schulhoff” for the Delos Label.

He recently recorded Mieczysław Weinberg’s Concertino as soloist with Maestro James Conlon. He has also recorded music of Franz Schreker, Pál Hermann, and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Mr. Millstein actively curates and produces concerts including a filmed Recovered Voices performance for the Library of Congress. He has guest lectured at UCLA, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University.

As an orchestral musician, Mr. Millstein has acted as concertmaster of the Sequoia Symphony and Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra. He has played as guest associate concertmaster of the Baltimore Symphony and Louisville Orchestra. He has performed as a substitute with the LA Opera and LA Chamber Orchestra and appeared as soloist with US and international orchestras.

Growing up, Damon was always surrounded by music. To his parents and to his family, there was a shared understanding about the importance of music. Throughout his childhood, Damon’s exposure to music weaved between many genres and subsequently he likes to think this early intervention is reflected in his present broad musical interests.

Throughout his high school career, Damon grew into an emerging young violist and violinist in the state of Oregon and broader Pacific Northwest winning most notably two OSAA state titles in solo viola performance. With a desire to see more of the world and to experience a wider range of the music, Damon eventually moved 2000 miles away from home to go to college in Music City.

In Nashville, his principal teachers included Kathryn Plummer and Daniel Reinker. Throughout his time in undergrad, Damon has enjoyed a varied and eclectic musical career. These eclectic interests led Damon to a variety of artistic collaborations around Nashville including: working with singer-songwriters, recording film scores, and presenting pop music productions with Listeso Music Group. In May of 2022, Damon graduated with academic honors from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor’s in Music.

Presently, Damon Zavala is a violist and violinist based in Los Angeles, California studying and instructing part-time at the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA. He is also a member of the UCLA Armenian Music Program’s VEM Ensemble. As he embarks on this next chapter in his studies, Damon is hoping to acquire more students to teach, to collaborate within commercial music industry spaces, and to ultimately share with people a diverse range of passion for music.