ANGELA
CHOLAKIAN
The Full Story
The Legacy of the Russian Piano School
Angela Cholakian, born in Russia, is a celebrated pianist and educator rooted in the iconic Russian School of Piano Performance, renowned for its precision and emotional depth. Beginning her musical journey at age six, she was accepted into the prestigious Tchaikovsky School for Gifted Children in Armenia, where she studied under Amalia Baibourtian. Her training continued at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory with Professor Yevgeny Malinin, a student of Heinrich Neuhaus, whose mentorship shaped legends like Sviatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels.
A Life Dedicated to Performance and Education
After immigrating to the United States, Angela founded the Tchaikovsky Music Academy in Los Angeles, where she served as Director for ten years, mentoring numerous students, including those from elite institutions such as the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School. While earning her American Artist Diploma and Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance, she balanced an active performance career.
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With a career spanning the United States, Europe, the former Soviet Union, and China, Angela has distinguished herself as a pianist, pedagogue, and scholar. Early in her career, she honed her skills at the State Opera Theater in Yerevan and collaborated with exceptional instrumentalists and opera singers worldwide.
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Currently, she serves as Head of the Piano Performance Department at Soochow University’s School of Music in Jiangsu, China. With over 35 years of teaching experience across Armenia, the U.S., and China, Angela remains dedicated to nurturing the next generation of pianists, combining her expertise in piano pedagogy and early childhood music education with a commitment to preserving artistic traditions. Her students have won top prizes in competitions and gained admission to elite music programs globally.
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Angela has also made significant contributions to international collaboration in higher education. She founded the Soochow University International Piano Pedagogy Conference, now a flagship event at the School of Music, bringing together leading educators and international guests to widespread acclaim.
Global Influence and Recognition
Since 2013, Angela has performed extensively across China’s major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, as well as at renowned European festivals such as Condividiamo Bellezza (Italy), Sommerakademie Neuburg (Germany), and Woerthersee Classics (Austria). A frequent performer at international festivals like the Shanghai International Piano Festival & Institute, Lanzhou International Piano Festival, and BOYA International Festival, she also leads masterclasses and seminars in China, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
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Her contributions to piano pedagogy and cultural development have been widely recognized. Angela has lectured at the National Piano Pedagogues’ Seminars in China (November 2019, April 2023) and actively participated as a judge in national and international competitions and teacher training programs. Her pedagogical insights have been featured in the prestigious Piano Artistry magazine (Beijing) and Suzhou TV and Radio Weekly Magazine, where she highlighted the importance of early childhood education.
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Angela’s achievements have been celebrated with prestigious awards, including the “Friends of Suzhou, Merit” award from the Suzhou Municipal Government in 2021, making her the first Soochow University professor to earn this honor. In 2022, she received Soochow University’s highest accolade, the “Noble Teacher Ethics Award,” as its first foreign recipient.
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In March 2024, her contributions to music were further celebrated with the release of a CD by Shanghai Music Publishing House, featuring piano solo works by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.
