dbo:abstract
- Raffi Besalyan (Armenian: Րաֆֆի Բէսալյան, born in Yerevan) is an Armenian-American Concert Pianist. Besalyan studied at the Tchaikovsky Special Music School for Gifted Children in Yerevan, and received Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Yerevan State Musical Conservatory. He received an additional master's degree from Rowan University, and studied at the Manhattan School of Music with legendary American pianist Byron Janis and Sara Davis Buechner. Besalyan has won top prizes in several national and international competitions. Among them are MTNA National Competition, Josef Hofmann International Piano Competition, Frinna Awerbuch International Competition, and Artists International Competition in New York. Besalyan made his New York Recital Debut in Carnegie Hall in 2003 to high critical acclaim. He regularly performs throughout North America, Europe, Russia and Asia. His performances have taken him to a number of prestigious venues, including Carnegie and Merkin Hall (New York City), the Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), Orchestra Hall (Chicago), Atlanta Symphony Hall, Moscow Conservatory's Rachmaninoff Hall and Maly Zal (Russia), and Izumi and Phoenix Hall in Japan. Besalyan tours Japan on a yearly basis for adjudication (PTNA, Osaka International Music Competition), master classes, and concerts. He is represented in Japan by Tokyo IMC, MAS management, and is a Guest Artist/Teacher of The Takatsuki Music Teacher's Association of Osaka and Yamaha. He was formerly a professor at Rowan University in New Jersey, University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. and Georgia State University where he served as the keyboard area coordinator. (en)