Dr. Tigran Shiganyan has enjoyed a multifaceted career as a conductor, violinist, educator, and producer. He has appeared as a soloist and conductor in America, Europe, and Asia. Dr. Shiganyan is a prizewinner of numerous national and international violin and conducting competitions, including the William C. Byrd Young Artists International Competition in Flint / U.S.A., Pittsburgh Symphony Concerto Competition in Pittsburgh / U.S.A., Five Towns Music Art Foundation Competition in New York / U.S.A., International Competition Palma D’Oro in Finali-Liguria / Italy, International Violin Competition in Almaty / Kazakhstan, IMKA International Conducting Competition in Sarajevo / Bosnia and Herzegovina and Prize Winner of the AMERICAN PRIZE — “ Ernst Bacon Memorial Award of 2021”, for the performance of American Music in Orchestral Category in Danbury / U.S.A.
Dr. Shiganyan was born into a family of musicians; his mother is the world-renowned composer, Dilorom Saidaminova. Dr. Shiganyan graduated from the V. Uspensky Music School for Gifted Children and the Tashkent State Conservatory where he earned his “Red Diploma,” Bachelor of Music & Master of Music degrees, and post-graduate diplomas with highest distinction. In the U.S.A., he graduated from Duquesne University with an “Artist Diploma” and a Master of Music degree. In 2009, Dr. Shiganyan received his doctorate from the College of Music at Michigan State University, thus making him the first Uzbek musician to earn a doctoral degree in musical performance from an American institution.
Dr. Shiganyan’s conducting teachers included Dr. Robert Cameron of Duquesne University and Professor Leon Gregorian of Michigan State University. His violin and chamber music teachers were Professors Nataliy Pogorelova, Nathan Mendelssohn, Vladimir Ioudenitch, Irina Zheleznova, Bakhrom Kurbanov, Charles Stegeman, Misha Quint, Randolph Kelly, Emanuel Borok, and Dmitri Berlinsky.
Dr. Shiganyan has conducted and performed many world premieres of works by his mother, composer Dilorom Saidaminova, in the U.S.A. and Uzbekistan. He has also conducted and performed for many musical premieres featuring great American composers in Central Asia, including Leonard Bernstein, John Adams, John Williams and Lowell Liebermann. Through Dr. Shiganyan’s initiative, top American musicians have come to Uzbekistan, giving concerts, masterclasses and lectures, making “Culture Bridges” between two countries.
Dr. Shiganyan has been the recipient of many awards, including a grant from the Open Society Institute & Foundation, Uzbekistan / U.S.A, as well as full scholarships from Duquesne University and Michigan State University. He was recognized by the United States Achievement Academy’s All-American Scholar and Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges as an outstanding scholar.
Dr. Shiganyan has been invited to perform at prestigious festivals such as the International Festival of Contemporary Music “Moscow Autumn” in Moscow (Russia), the International Festival of Contemporary Music “Ilkhom-XX ” in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), the “Hot Summer Night ” Music Festival in Columbia (Missouri, U.S.A.), and the Utah Festival Opera in Logan (Utah, U.S.A.). He most recently conducted at the First International Orchestra Music Festival “Golden Autumn” and International Arts Music Festival “Bahor Nafasi” in Tashkent (Uzbekistan).
In 2014, Dr. Shiganyan founded the “ArtNova Project,” dedicated to performing chamber music with a variety of ensemble types, and subsequently performed with such prestigious concert series as the Lansing Symphony Orchestra Chamber Series, Lansing / U.S.A., Friends of Absolute Music, East Lansing / U.S.A., and Flint Institute of Music Concerts Series, Flint / U.S.A. The “ArtNova Project ” String Quartet first CD “Amid the Winter’s Snow” was released on December of 2022 on the Blue Griffin Recording label.
Additionally, his performance schedule has taken him to the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Conference in Hershey (U.S.A.), and the 30th Annual Western Pennsylvania Symposium on World Literatures in Pittsburgh (U.S.A.)
Dr. Shiganyan has given many solos and chamber recitals, and he has appeared as a soloist and conductor in France, Germany, Russia, Italy, India, Kazakhstan, United States, Spain, and Uzbekistan. Ensembles have included the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan, Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra, Duquesne Wind Symphony, Tashkent Opera Symphony Orchestra, Michigan State University Philharmonic Orchestra, and Missouri Symphony Orchestra. Chamber orchestras have included the The Chamber Orchestra “Turkistan”, Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Berlin, The Soloists of Uzbekistan, The Academy of Soloists, Duquesne Contemporary Ensemble, The Chamber Orchestra “Camerata of Michigan”, The Rose Chamber Orchestra, International Chamber Soloists, and “Madrid Soloists” Chamber Orchestra.
Dr. Shiganyan’s first solo CD of Alfred Schnittke’s violin music and his second solo CD & DVD, chamber music of Dilorom Saidaminova, were released on the Blue Griffin Recording label and awarded two major prizes — the Akademia Music Award for “Best World Beat Music Video ”, Los Angeles / U.S.A., and the Global Music Award, earning Silver medal in three categories, including World Music, Album, and Chamber Music Album, La Jolla / U.S.A., in 2016. In May of 2021 Dr. Shi- ganyan released his third solo CD, “Journey to France” which he dedicated to the front-line workers who daily risk their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, the CD awarded Silver medal by the Global Music Award, in category “Classical Album”, in 2022.
Dr. Shiganyan made his debut recording as conductor with the “Madrid Soloists ” Chamber Orchestra and Latin Grammy nominated producer and pianist Dr. Sergei Kvitko, the CD “ Post Scriptum ”, released on November, 2021 and received high critical acclaim.
Dr. Tigran Shiganyan has performed professionally with the Pittsburgh Opera Theater, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed on New York Broadway & DreamWorks Theatricals’ productions of South Pacific, West Side Story, Porgy and Bess, Shrek, The Sound of Music, Cinderella; New York Broadway & The Really Useful Group’s productions of The Phantom of the Opera and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, the 50 Church Street’s productions of Broadway musicals, and Rocktopia Live & M2M Entertainment productions.
Dr. Shiganyan also performed with the Mannheim Steamroller and Trans-Siberian Orchestra shows. He shared the stage in production with such artists as acclaimed Emmy and Tony Award-winning star Kristin Chenoweth; ten-time Grammy winner, American jazz vocalist, and conductor, Bobby McFerrin; and three-time Oscar and five-time Grammy winner, legendary composer, Michel Legrand.
Dr. Tigran Shiganyan was invited to judge the 1st International Music Competition “Iste’dod ” and the National Youth String Music Competition in Uzbekistan and International Music Competition “ Shabyt ” in Kazakhstan. He was Chair of the Examination Graduation Committee at Uzbekistan State Conservatory from 2015 to 2021. In December of 2016, Dr. Shiganyan was awarded “Honorary Professor ” by the Uzbekistan State Conservatory, which made him the youngest professor in the history of the institution. Dr. Shiganyan serves on the faculty of the Flint Institute of Music (Michigan, U.S.A.).
In 2017, Dr. Shiganyan joined the Global Music Partnership, becoming “Honorary Artistic ” and Advisor, representing Central Asia & the Midwest of USA, and Artistic Director of “Global Music Partnership ” International Concerto Competition — which happens every year. The Competition consistently attracts top musical talent from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Poland, Russia, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Japan, and Uzbekistan, thus fulfilling Dr. Shiganyan’s dream of creating a more peaceful and understanding world, united by music.
On November 19, 2018 Dr. Shiganyan, in collaboration with the brilliant New Zealand violinist Amalia Hall and the “Turkistan” Chamber Orchestra, conducted a cycle of all five concertos of V. A. Mozart, in one evening, thus marked this milestone the first in the world. Dr. Tigran Shiganyan made his conducting debut at Carnegie Hall in Pittsburgh with the Duquesne Wind Symphony in April of 2003. On December of 2018, Dr. Shiganyan debuted with the Youth Orchestra from Philadelphia at Carnegie Hall / Weill Recital Hall in New York.
Dr. Shiganyan is a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (GRAMMY) and member of American Federation of Musicians of the United States (AFM).
