Christine Kharazian

About the Artist

Christine Kharazian is a concert violinist whose artistry bridges classical, traditional, and jazz music. Based in Silver Spring, MD, she began violin studies at a young age in Armenia and trained at the Tchaikovsky Advanced School of Music and the Komitas State Conservatory in Yerevan. Early in her career, she performed as a first violinist with the Armenian National Opera Symphony and as a featured soloist with the Sharakan Ensemble of Ancient and Medieval Music of Armenian TV and Radio. Her mentors, Professors Edward Dayan and Hrachia Harutunyan, were direct pupils of legendary violinists David Oistrakh and Leonid Kogan. Since moving to the Washington, D.C. area, Christine has become known for her versatility and dynamic stage presence. She has performed as a soloist and ensemble musician at the Kennedy Center, Strathmore Hall, Blues Alley Jazz Club, and various embassies in Washington, among other venues. Her collaborations span a wide range of traditions, including performances with the Pan-American Orchestra,  Balkan music group Orchester Praževica, Raíces Negras with Ceylon Mitchell, as well as explorations of Gypsy Jazz, Brazilian choro, and contemporary global styles. Christine is equally passionate about interdisciplinary work, blending music with theater and storytelling. She appeared onstage with Quotidian Theatre Company in productions of Chekhov’s A Little Trick (2015) and The Lady with the Little Dog (2016), where director Stephanie Mumford created a violin-playing role especially for her. Her creative voice also extends to composition: her piece Valse Astolfi received 2nd Prize in the international Unsigned Only competition (2021). Beyond the stage, Christine is a deeply committed educator with extensive experience teaching students of all ages and backgrounds. She currently teaches at Sidwell Friends School and has also taught at the Fillmore Arts Center, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and in the Fairfax County Public Schools as an orchestra teacher. She is a Teaching Artist with Washington Performing Arts and works with the Strathmore String Program, coaching and supporting school orchestras across Montgomery County Public Schools. She is known for her holistic, encouraging approach that blends strong technical foundations with expressive musicianship. .https://www.christinekharazian.com/  

Artist's Statement

Interview: https://youtu.be/ClK38WOBMp0?si=CxcmpuVSuvy7-k1x