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A two-year-old girl stands before a bulky 90’s television with a toy violin in her hands, intensely studying and imitating world-renowned Israeli-American virtuoso Itzhak Perlman. It was this rare combination of sheer curiosity and natural abilities that initially led the young girl towards the intricate world of classical music. The toy violin gifted to her by her grandmother would soon be replaced with an authentic instrument.
At the tender age of seven, Ani Bukujian demonstrated her impeccable musical talents during her debut concert at Alex Theatre in Glendale, California, where she proved herself an already polished soloist performing with the Glendale Chamber Orchestra. In addition to being the youngest participant to play in the Viva Vivaldi All Girl Chamber Orchestra at age seven in Washington D.C. and performing solo repertoire at UCLA’s Performing Arts Center, she won three gold medals at the World Championship of Performing Arts in 2005. Reaching great heights in such a short period of time sparked interest among local news giants, including the LA Times and CNN News. These fundamental years of training served as the firm foundation she stood upon as she proceeded to study at the esteemed private performing arts conservatory Juilliard, where she earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Violin Performance. |
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“My general advice would be to always aim for a higher standard of excellence and compete not with others but with yourself; to be a better you than you were the day before.”
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Taking into consideration that you come from a musical family, what is the earliest memory you can recall of wanting to pick up a violin for the first time?
I was only 2 years old when I started playing the violin, and so I have no memory of how it all started. My father Sarkis Bukujian used to record life’s moments of me growing up and in one of these VHS tapes I was imitating famous violinists of that time such as Sarah Chang and Itzhak Perlman, with a toy violin my grandmother had gifted me. Who were your most prominent influences growing up? I was fortunate to be born into a musical family. My father played a crucial role in my musical education and he was my primary teacher until the age of 14. Thanks to him, I established a strong technical foundation and learned how to appreciate the important things in music and art in general. He introduced me to legendary violinists such as Jascha Heifetz, David Oistrach, Leonid Kogan, and many more. I grew up listening to their recordings and still do to this very day. As I grew older into my teenage years, I started discovering artists on my own and to my liking. One of the very fine violinists I still admire to this very day is Sergey Khachatryan of whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many times. |
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I am still discovering and rediscovering artists of our time as well as in the past and they continue to be influential people in my life. Influences don’t necessarily have to be famous musicians; I am influenced every single day by the people I work with in the ballet, my very own colleagues.
"Classical music helped me develop a lot of human qualities that I consider important: sensitivity, awareness, understanding of fellow musicians, coexisting and appreciating differences in opinions, etc."
What is the biggest misconception the general public has about classical music and its relevance?
I hear from many people that classical music is very serious and not accessible but in reality it’s all about how you approach it. If you come to it with an open mind and ready to absorb what you hear and see, you will definitely have a great time! I honestly don’t believe that it’s about it being popular, at the end of the day it all comes to quality and what appeals to people. There is always good music and bad music. Labeling it wouldn’t be fair.
I hear from many people that classical music is very serious and not accessible but in reality it’s all about how you approach it. If you come to it with an open mind and ready to absorb what you hear and see, you will definitely have a great time! I honestly don’t believe that it’s about it being popular, at the end of the day it all comes to quality and what appeals to people. There is always good music and bad music. Labeling it wouldn’t be fair.
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What was it about performance that led you to gravitate towards the stage from a young age?
It is hard to answer the question because being a young musician one has no defined and conscious understanding of one’s feelings. Looking back though at those days from my current perspective, I dare say I really enjoyed discovering and sharing a part of myself while being on stage with the audience. Definitely my early successes in competitions and concerts helped me build confidence in myself as a performer. It is very important for a young child to feel that what he/she does is appreciated and admired by other people. |
What has been the most fulfilling moment in your career so far?
Definitely the most fulfilling moment would have to be being appointed the principal second violin position of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. This was a moment where I felt like I fully transitioned from being a student to a working professional; it’s as if my life made a full circle. If I had to name a couple of fulfilling experiences during my childhood, I would have to say my Alex Theatre debut with a professional orchestra at age 7 and my acceptance to The Juilliard School before finishing high school. These have definitely been cornerstones in my musical development.
Definitely the most fulfilling moment would have to be being appointed the principal second violin position of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. This was a moment where I felt like I fully transitioned from being a student to a working professional; it’s as if my life made a full circle. If I had to name a couple of fulfilling experiences during my childhood, I would have to say my Alex Theatre debut with a professional orchestra at age 7 and my acceptance to The Juilliard School before finishing high school. These have definitely been cornerstones in my musical development.
"I always felt that my strong cultural background shaped the person I am today."
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How important is it for you to stay connected to your cultural roots and how do you do so via concert repertoire?
My parents immigrated to the states in the late 80s and as a proud first-generation Armenian I always felt that my strong cultural background shaped the person I am today. The music of Khachaturian, Komitas and other legendary figures of our culture has been playing in our household since the day I was born. In terms of performances in public, I got to share the stage with my dad’s chamber ensemble ‘Unison’ where he would highlight 20th century repertoire. In addition, I would play lots of solo pieces as well as pieces for violin and piano with my trip to Armenia in 2017 being something I would remember for the rest of my life. Krunk by Komitas is the piece I have played the most throughout my life and to be able to perform it at Tsitsernakaberd memorial that year, was such a touching experience.
What was the biggest challenge you faced studying at Juilliard?
The change of environment was probably the biggest challenge considering that I moved from the safe city of Glendale to a jungle like New York City. The energy level was something that took me some time to get used to as well as human relationships with fellow musicians who were pretty competitive.
Even though it was very overwhelming and intimidating at first, thankfully, I never lost myself in this bubble and managed to learn a lot and meet lots of wonderful people, those of whom are my closest friends.
My parents immigrated to the states in the late 80s and as a proud first-generation Armenian I always felt that my strong cultural background shaped the person I am today. The music of Khachaturian, Komitas and other legendary figures of our culture has been playing in our household since the day I was born. In terms of performances in public, I got to share the stage with my dad’s chamber ensemble ‘Unison’ where he would highlight 20th century repertoire. In addition, I would play lots of solo pieces as well as pieces for violin and piano with my trip to Armenia in 2017 being something I would remember for the rest of my life. Krunk by Komitas is the piece I have played the most throughout my life and to be able to perform it at Tsitsernakaberd memorial that year, was such a touching experience.
What was the biggest challenge you faced studying at Juilliard?
The change of environment was probably the biggest challenge considering that I moved from the safe city of Glendale to a jungle like New York City. The energy level was something that took me some time to get used to as well as human relationships with fellow musicians who were pretty competitive.
Even though it was very overwhelming and intimidating at first, thankfully, I never lost myself in this bubble and managed to learn a lot and meet lots of wonderful people, those of whom are my closest friends.
What advice would you give to young musicians?
My general advice would be to always aim for a higher standard of excellence and compete not with others but with yourself; to be a better you than you were the day before.
What is your life motto?
Everything happens for a reason.
What role did classical music play in shaping your character?
Classical music helped me develop a lot of human qualities that I consider important: sensitivity, awareness, understanding of fellow musicians, coexisting and appreciating differences in opinions, etc. Going through the process of mastering the instrument, I learned patience, perseverance, going through pain (playing through the pain), and getting out of my comfort zone in times when it was much easier to stay comfortable.
My general advice would be to always aim for a higher standard of excellence and compete not with others but with yourself; to be a better you than you were the day before.
What is your life motto?
Everything happens for a reason.
What role did classical music play in shaping your character?
Classical music helped me develop a lot of human qualities that I consider important: sensitivity, awareness, understanding of fellow musicians, coexisting and appreciating differences in opinions, etc. Going through the process of mastering the instrument, I learned patience, perseverance, going through pain (playing through the pain), and getting out of my comfort zone in times when it was much easier to stay comfortable.
Throughout her remarkable career, she has been the winner of several competitions, collecting a myriad of gold medals and trophies that symbolize a lifelong dedication to an instrument that only few have the tenacity to thoroughly master. She has also participated in numerous festivals and recitals as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra member. Ani is currently the Principal Second violinist of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, a title well deserved.
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