Sarkis Baltaian

Dr. Sarkis Baltaian has gained an international reputation as a concert pianist, chamber musician, recording artist and pedagogue. He has been praised by critics for his “beautiful tone and ability to project even the most delicate pianissimos” and compared to George Gershwin and Oscar Levant for his performance of Gershwin’s Concerto in F. Dr. Baltaian made his Carnegie Hall Debut in 1999 and has performed extensively both as recitalist and concerto soloist with major orchestras throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Dr. Baltaian has been a top prize winner of several national and international competitions and has appeared as guest artist in numerous festivals including the Aspen International Music Festival, Casalmaggiore International Music Festival, Holland Music Sessions, Bad Bertrich Klaviersommer, Pan Pacific Music Festival, Mammoth Lakes Music Festival, and Plovdiv International Chamber Music Festival. Dr. Baltaian has made recordings for Television and Radio Stations and has been featured in live concerts and interviews on NBC, NPR, KUSC- Los Angeles, K-Mozart- Los Angeles, WFMT-Chicago, Bulgarian National Radio and TV, Classic FM-Bulgaria among others.

A dedicated teacher, Dr. Baltaian’s students have won various national and international competitions and have been accepted at schools such as Eastman School, Peabody Conservatory, New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, USC, UCLA, Rice University, Cornell University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Santa Barbara, Pomona College and University of Colorado at Boulder.

He is a fierce advocate for the music education of young musicians and has served on the piano faculty at the Casalmaggiore Music Festival in Italy, Pan Pacific Music Festival in Australia, John Perry Academy in California and as a chamber music coach for the Junior Chamber Music Series in Los Angeles and Orange County. Dr. Baltaian is in demand as clinician and regularly presents Master Classes at Universities across the United States. He is frequently invited to adjudicate for such organizations as the Music Teachers National Association, Music Teachers Association of California, Junior Bach Festival and Southwestern Youth Music Festival.

Dr. Baltaian began to study piano at the age of four with Rositza Ivancheva at the “Dobrin Petkov” Music High School for gifted students in his native Bulgaria. He continued his education at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles where he received the Bachelor of Music, Masters of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts Degrees under the direction of renowned pedagogue and concert artist John Perry where he also served as his teaching assistant. He previously studied with Nina Scolnik and Nelms McKelvain.

Dr. Baltaian has held full time professorships at the Colburn Conservatory and UAHuntsville.

He is currently the Director of Instrumental Music at the Orange County School of the Arts and serves on the piano faculty of the Pasadena Conservatory of Music.