Cellist Armen Ksajikian

Widely hailed as one of the greatest cellists in California, Armen Ksajikian began his professional career at age 12 with the Abkhazian State Philharmonic. Since arriving in the United States in 1976, he has been very active in the musical life of Los Angeles, appearing as soloist and principal cellist with numerous orchestras, as well as the Bolshoi, Kirov, Stuttgart, Royal and American Ballet Theater orchestras. Ksajikian has participated in many music festivals including the Cabrillo, Colorado, Banff, Sitka, and Venice Film festivals. As a member of the Armadillo String Quartet since 1982, he has performed in daring events including a 34.5-hour marathon of the complete Haydn quartets, and concerts ranging from the top of the Mendenhall Glacier to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. He has premiered works by Schickele, Cage, Rosza, Mancini, Adams, Corea, and many others. In 1985 he was invited to perform with Jascha Heifetz in his master classes. He can be found in numerous Hollywood recording orchestras, with over 900 motion picture soundtracks to his credit.