KAREN OUZOUNIAN
Cello, Composer
Sought after for her “radiant” (New York Times) performances full of “tremendous heart, bringing joy and a captivating sound to the stage” (The Strad), Karen Ouzounian is an acclaimed cellist and composer who creates music from a deeply personal place. She has appeared as a soloist in venues including the Konzerthaus Berlin, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Kölner Philharmonie, Tonhalle Düsseldorf and Carnegie Hall, championing a remarkable breadth of music with fierce commitment and emotional power. An omnivorous musical spirit who “powerfully shatters pigeonholes with her artistic partners” (Ravinia Magazine), she has premiered numerous works and collaborated with some of the most singular musicians of our time, including Rhiannon Giddens, Augustin Hadelich and Kayhan Kalhor. She is a member of the Silkroad Ensemble, has appeared at the Marlboro, Ojai, Caramoor and Ravinia festivals, and was the founding cellist of the Aizuri Quartet for eleven years, earning a GRAMMY nomination, major chamber music prizes on three continents, and serving as the MetLiveArts String Quartet-in-Residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
At the heart of Karen’s artistic practice is her love of collaboration and the development of adventurous programs. She gave the world premiere of Anna Clyne’s Shorthand for solo cello and strings with The Knights, which she recorded for Avie Records and toured as soloist with The Knights throughout Germany, Denmark and the U.S. to critical acclaim. Her current focus includes a trio of projects created with composer and animator Lembit Beecher: Mayrig (“mother” in Armenian), an intimate 60-minute show for cello with electronics, piano and vocals; Dear Mountains, a 42-minute work co-composed with Beecher for chorus, solo cello, oud, and percussion commissioned by Cantori New York and premiered in 2024; and Tell Me Again, a concerto for cello and orchestra which received its world premiere with conductor Eric Jacobsen and the Orlando Philharmonic, and its West Coast premiere with conductor Cristian Măcelaru and the 2024 Cabrillo Festival Orchestra.
Karen holds Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees from Juilliard, where she was a student of Timothy Eddy, a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma from The Curtis Institute of Music, and is a recipient of the S&R Foundation’s Washington Award. Born to Lebanese-Armenian parents in Toronto, she resides in New York City with her husband, Lembit Beecher.