Marta Aznavoorian

Marta Aznavoorian is a Chicago native and Armenian-American pianist.

Career At 13, Aznavoorian made her professional debut when Sir George Solti invited her to perform Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Center. She studied with Menahem Pressler at Indiana University for her bachelor’s degree and was awarded an artist diploma. In 2017, Trios from our Homelands, recorded on Cedille Records was nominated for best small ensemble/chamber music performance at the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards. In 2021, the trio released Trios from the City of Big Shoulders featuring works by Chicago composers Leo Sowerby and Ernst Bacon. The following year, they released a CD highlighting contemporary Chicago composers, titled Chicago Now.

Aznavoorian’s duo, The Aznavoorian Duo, is composed of Marta Aznavoorian and her sister, cellist Ani Aznavoorian. In 2022, they released their debut album, Gems from Armenia, featuring Komitas Vartabed, Aram Khachaturian, Arno Babajanian, Avet Terterian and Armenian contemporary composers Serouj Kradjian, Alexander Arutiunian, Vache Sharafyan and Peter Boyer. In 2022, the duo toured the album and its release. In 2017, she was awarded the Standing Ovation Alumni Legend Award for her teaching and mentoring in Chicago. Aznavoorian is a faculty member at DePaul University where she was awarded the Monsignor Kenneth J. Velo Endowed Distinguished Professorship. She is also a faculty member and Artist in Residence at the Music Institute of Chicago.

Aznavoorian is a Steinway Artist and records for Naxos, ARTEC label and Cedille Records.