Pianist, Composer and Conductor
Reviews
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 has emerged as a versatile and dynamic force on the international music scene. He made his Carnegie Hall debut at age seventeen and has since appeared in major concert halls across Armenia, Argentina, Mexico, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Japan, and the United States, earning acclaim for his artistic depth, creative vision, and technical brilliance.
Karén is the Founder, Principal Conductor, and Artistic Director of Pegasus: The Orchestra, based in New York. Under his leadership, Pegasus has quickly become recognized for its artistic vitality, distinctive sound, and bold programming. As part of the orchestra’s Fifth Anniversary Season (2022–2023), he conducted all five Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos with five soloists in a single evening at Lincoln Center, an ambitious undertaking that earned widespread critical praise. Fanfare magazine described Hakobyan’s interpretation of Brahms’s Fourth Symphony as “a shattering experience, not to be missed,” while New York Classical Review lauded Pegasus under his direction as “delivered with commanding energy and a strong sense of ensemble.”
Hakobyan’s conducting engagements have included appearances with the Armenian National Chamber Orchestra, the Ryukyu Symphony Orchestra in Japan alongside leading principals from Tokyo, and the MostArts International Festival Orchestra featuring pianist Asiya Korepanova. Last season, Karén led Pegasus through two major thematic programs — Americana and New World — celebrating the centennial of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, which he both played and conducted from the piano, and culminating in a critically praised performance of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9. His upcoming conducting engagements include Ravel150 and an All-Armenian Program with Pegasus at Kaufman Center, as well as a highly anticipated Carnegie Hall Debut.
"With his youth, passion and virtuosity the Armenian pianist Karen Hakobyan lit up the famous piece (Tchaikovsky concerto)"
VIDA EL NORTE, by Alejandro Fenandez
As a composer, Hakobyan is a winner of the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award and has received numerous other distinctions including prizes in the Four Corners Piano Competition, The Fite Piano Competition, the Armenian Legacy Pianists Competition, the Pinault International Audiotape-Videotape Competition, and the World Piano International Competition. His compositions have been performed in major venues and broadcast on national and international platforms, and his 2011 Carnegie Hall composition debut was hailed by New York Concert Review for its “abundant gifts and bountiful ideas.”
Hakobyan’s performances have been broadcast globally on WQXR (New York), WFMT (Chicago), WSKG (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. Recordings of his live performances—including the Khachaturian Piano Concerto at Muza Kawasaki Hall in Tokyo—have been released on the Altus label in Japan.
A devoted educator and advocate for the next generation, Hakobyan has held teaching and advisory roles with various organizations and is deeply committed to mentorship, artistic empowerment, and expanding access to high-level musical experiences.
Karén holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music, and the University of Utah.
FOR PRESS & PRESENTERS
There are a lot of "bangers" on stage today posing as virtuosos. It is a distinct pleasure to count Karen Hakobyan as among the pianists whose virtuosity is at the service of the music.
PINAULT INTERNTIONAL SOCIETY CONCERT REVIEW, by Philipp Dieckow
"Karen Hakobyan is a musician of abundant gifts and bountiful ideas"
NEW YORK CONCERT REVIEW
- Hungarian Rhapsody No. 210:25
Before founding Pegasus, Hakobyan enjoyed a distinguished career as a concert pianist. He has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Tucumán Philharmonic (Argentina), Monterrey Symphony Orchestra (Mexico), Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Serenade Chamber Orchestra, National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, World Peace Sinfonietta, Salt Lake Symphony, Summer Arts Festival Orchestra, New American Symphony, Ridgewood Symphony, and the University of Utah Philharmonia. His performances have been featured in prestigious festivals and series such as the Lille International Piano(s) Festival, The Pianist as Composer Festival, the Mendelssohn Salon Series, Gina Bachauer International Festival, and Keys to the Future. The New York Times praised his performance at Le Poisson Rouge as “sensitively rendered,” further cementing his reputation as an interpreter of expressive range and refinement.
" A meditative mood also permeated Vuk Kelonovic's "Virginal", sensitively rendered by Karen Hakobyan"
NEW YORK TIMES MUSIC REVIEW, by Vivien Schweitzer
Biography
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