Violist Cara Pogossian ’23 MM, ’24 GD won first place at NEC’s 2023-2024 Lower Strings Concerto Competition with her performance of Bartók’s Viola Concerto. Pogossian studies with faculty member Kim Kashkashian at NEC.
Judges for the Concerto Competition’s preliminary round included Rafael Popper-Keizer, Danny Kim, and Jan Mueller-Szeraws. Final round judges included Rhonda Rider, Jing Li, and Daniel Dona.
An avid chamber musician, Pogossian has attended numerous summer festivals, including the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Taos School of Music, Perlman Music Program, and Yellow Barn Young Artists Program. She was the 2022 winner of the Borromeo String Quartet Guest Artist Award.
Concerto enthusiasts can look forward to NEC’s violin concerto competition in January. Pogossian and the winner of the violin concerto competition will perform solos at two spring concerts: NEC Philharmonia and conductor Hugh Wolff’s program of Wennäkoski and Mendelssohn on January 30 and NEC Symphony and conductor David Loebel’s program of William L. Dawson on February 1.