Dr. Tatev Amiryan

Specializations: Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) Exams, Certificate of Merit (CM), Trinity College London (TCL) Exams, Advanced Placement (AP) Music Theory, Piano Performance, Piano Improvisation, Composition, Songwriting, Music Theory, Guest Lectures, Masterclasses, Collegiate Music Course Developer, University Professor, International Classical Pianist/Composer.

Dr. Tatev Amiryan is an award-winning composer, pianist, music educator, and co-founder of Renaissance Music Académie. Her music has been performed in many countries including: the United States, England, Poland, Spain, Italy, Malta, France, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, and Israel by renowned ensembles and performers such as: German Chamber Philharmonic of Bremen, Portland Youth Philharmonic, National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, CMEA Central Coast Honors Orchestra, Carpe Diem String Quartet, Ensemble Oktoplus (Germany), Lilith Ensemble (Belgium), Metropolitan Choral of Kansas City, Juventas New Music Ensemble, Globus Music Ensemble (Russia), Playground Ensemble; and pianists Jeffrey Jacob, Hayk Melikyan, and thereminist Thorwald Jorgensen (Netherlands). 

Dr. Amiryan has received such awards as the 1st Prize at the UMKC Conservatory Chamber Music Composition Competition; Winner of the Metropolitan Chorale of Kansas City’s Composition Contest; Winner of the Abundant Silence Composition Competition; Winner of the International Alliance for Women in Music Call for Scores; Winner of the Crossing Borders Music Call for Scores; Winner of the RMN Classical Call for Piano Works; Winner of the Juventas New Music Ensemble Call for Scores; and the 2nd Prize at New Ariel Recordings Fifth Piano Composition Competition. She has been commissioned by acclaimed organizations and performers: North German Radio NDR, Portland Youth Philharmonic, New Ariel Recordings, Access Contemporary Music ACM, Abundant Silence Music Publisher, and Lilith Ensemble. 

Dr. Amiryan has performed extensively throughout the United States, United Kingdom and Eastern Europe, at prestigious venues and institutions such as: Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Preston Bradley Hall at Chicago Cultural Center, San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, Southern Connecticut State University, Rotwitt Theater at Rosemont College, UMKC Conservatory of Music, Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, CT, Aram Khachaturian House-museum in Yerevan, Armenia, and Royal College of Music in London, UK. In 2022 she had her Carnegie Hall debut as a composer and pianist, presenting her original piano compositions and works for soprano and piano.

Dr. Amiryan has presented lectures and lecture-recitals at a number of international conferences and festivals including: Women in the Arts International Conference at University of Missouri-St. Louis; Women Composers Festival of Hartford at Hartt School of Music in Connecticut; London International Piano Symposium at Royal College of Music; the 12th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities in Honolulu, Hawaii; USF New Music International Festival at the University of South Florida; the 3rd Hildegard Festival of Women in The Arts at California State University, Stanislaus; and the IAWM International Alliance for Women in Music Conference at the Oregon State University in Corvallis. She has also presented guest lectures and lecture-recitals at Florida State University in Tallahassee, the University of Connecticut, UConn, and at Southern Connecticut State University as an artist in residence.

Dr. Amiryan holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in both composition and musicology with a minor in piano performance from Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, Armenia and a DMA Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. She is a member of the Union of Composers of the Republic of Armenia, IAWM International Alliance for Women in Music, and ASCAP American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Dr. Amiryan has over 15 years of teaching experience in higher institutions and private teaching. She has taught at a number of higher institutions in the United States including: San Jose State University, University of Silicon Valley, University of Missouri, UMKC Community Music and Dance Academy, SAE Institute San Jose, and Crowden Music School in Berkeley. Currently, she holds a teaching position at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego.

Dr. Amiryan is a member of Music Teachers Association of California and has the distinction of being a Steinway & Sons Educational Partner. She has prepared many students for MTAC, ABRSM, RCM, and AP Music Theory exams for all levels, as well as for competitions and auditions for college admission throughout the United States. Dr. Amiryan enjoys focusing her time on younger students, guiding and preparing them for college to see them succeed as far as possible in life's challenges.

I have taught at several institutions within the United States and worked with students of diverse cultural and educational backgrounds, different ages, and varied academic interests. This helped me develop a comprehensive approach to teaching and an ability to find an individual learning path to each student. I have taught a variety of musical subjects, including: composition, music theory, musicianship, aural skills, piano/keyboard skills, music fundamentals, introduction to music, music appreciation, and world music. Multifaceted music skills enable me not only to teach varying subjects, but also connect those disciplines via instructional practice.

My primary goal in teaching is to provide students with the necessary skills and functional tools to apply towards a lifetime of learning and practice to give back to the world through music. The passion to share my experiences from higher education, professional endeavors, and teaching will give students purpose in attaining their own musical goals.

My extensive training in the highly-developed traditions of the Armenian and Russian music schools and my doctoral studies in the United States provided me the opportunity to observe various teaching methods and learning models to equip me with a broader perspective of the study of music. This helped develop my own unique teaching approach and individualized methods which have proven to be successful in practice. Additionally, all the work in composition and performance has provided unique personal experiences that have greatly contributed to my own music instruction being multifaceted and comprehensive.

Through learning and teaching experiences I have determined that for successful teaching one needs to possess not only good knowledge, but the appropriate skills to serve various audiences. The ability to work with students of diverse backgrounds. That understanding of the needs and learning abilities of each student helps find an individualized path to the student and provide personalized assistance.

I have developed a comprehensive approach to teaching and an ability to connect various musical subjects via instructional practice. My extensive experience as a composer gives me thorough understanding of musical structure and process and enables me communicate theoretical knowledge in a comprehensive and effective way. My piano performance skills provide me with deeper perception of the instrument and its abilities and better understanding of performance technique which benefits my composition instruction. The extensive knowledge of music theory and compositional techniques make my piano instruction more comprehensive and thorough. My broad knowledge of music history compliments my instruction in music theory, composition, and piano.

Musical instruction not only provides the students with the skills, but also teaches how to apply applicable knowledge to those skills in their musical practice. Developing creative and analytical thinking among students is critical for every musician because of the following: to be able to get into the depth of each composition when performing or analyzing it, understand its compositional principles and the composer’s intentions, apply critical approaches to their own works, and create thoughtfully crafted and meaningful compositions.

One of my strongest abilities as an educator is being able to establish a genuine connection with the students and to create a nurturing and encouraging learning environment. Being caring, patient, and understanding is crucial for successful instruction. Possessing good knowledge and demonstrating strong skills in teaching is not enough to create a positive learning environment nor to evoke the desire for learning within students. Showing students that I truly care about them creates more enthusiasm for learning and a higher sense of responsibility in them, through which the learning process benefits. So many factors are necessary in shaping an effective teaching and learning model that can provide students with the functional tools and a valuable learning experience for their whole lives.