João Kouyoumdjian

“Masterful presentation of premium-grade Bach” - Classical Guitar Magazine João Kouyoumdjian is a Brazilian-born classical guitarist of mixed Brazilian and Armenian ethnic heritage. Since graduating from The Juilliard School and winning 1st prize in the XXI Souza Lima National Guitar Competition in São Paulo (2010), his career has spanned USA, Brazil, Europe and Africa. Noted stops have included Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum, and multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall, where he self-produced Brazilian Guitar: Tradition and Tendencies, a program sponsored by the Consulate General of Brazil in New York including premieres of new works by Brazilian living composer. He was also a guest soloist with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra in 2012 and has released three critically acclaimed albums - Surfboard: Solo Guitar Works from Brazil (Pomegranate Music, 2013), Kouyoumdjian Plays Bach: New Transcriptions for Guitar (Pomegranate Music, 2015) and Gakavig Fantasy: Armenian Music Arranged & Composed for Classical Guitar ([Independent], 2022). João Kouyoumdjian resides in the Greater New York City area where he is on faculty at The Diller-Quaile School of Music, Lucy Moses School at Kaufman Music Center and Newark School of the Arts. Kouyoumdjian is a certified Suzuki instructor and his students have been admitted to leading US music programs on merit-based scholarships.