Education & background. Ava Nazar is an Iranian-American pianist and educator based in New York. She is a graduate of the Juilliard school where she received her Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano, and Manhattan School of Music where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance. 

 

Performance. Ava is distinguished for her frequent collaborations with seasoned musicians. She has appeared at notable venues such as the United Nations, Merkin Hall at Lincoln Center, National Sawdust, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. Recent highlights include performances at Noe Valley Ministry, Santa Clara University, Stanford Jazz Workshop, Sam Mazza Castle, Newark Library, Sunset Music & Arts, and the Old First Concerts series in San Francisco. Ava’s festival appearances include the Aspen Music Festival, the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and the Académies Internationales d'été du Grand Nancy in France.

 

Mentors. Ava has also had the privilege of working with many distinguished musicians including Jonathan Feldman, Margo Garrett, Andrew Harley, Cameron Stowe, Roger Vignoles, Rita Sloan, Anne Epperson, J.J. Penna, Diane Richardson,  Henri Barda, Donn-Alexandre Feder, Franz Helmerson, and David Finckel. 

 

Contribution to community. Passionate about expanding musical access across communities, Ava has volunteered as a pianist with the Sing for Hope organization which aims at bringing art to communities in need. Additionally, Ava has served as an AmeriCorps fellow through the ArtistYear organization where she taught music to around 100 low-income middle schoolers in a public school in New York, and was able to raise funds for the school to purchase instruments needed for a music program. 

 

New music. Ava’s interest in and exploration of new music have led her to work with many living composers. To this end she has premiered and performed works by different composers in the US and her home country Iran. Additionally, Ava enjoys performing at non-standard venues. She has had multiple performances at Port Authority Bus Terminal, public schools, nursing houses, and hospitals.