Escuela Superior de Música Forum Musikae

Samvel Barsegian was born in Yerevan/Armenia in 1971. He started to play violin at the age of 6. In 1987 he switched to viola. In 1989 Samvel entered Yerevan State Conservatory and won 1 prize in the National competition.

In year 1991-1997 he studied in Freiburg School of Music in Germany with professor Kim Kashkashian. From 1994-1995 he continued his studies at the Julliard school studying with Karen Tuttle, but also having classes with prof. Paul Neubauer, prof. Michael Tree and prof. Roberto Diaz.

From 1995-1998 Samvel was regularly taking lessons of viola and conducting with Rudolf Barshai. In all this years he made several masterclasses (viola) with many famous musicians such as Janosh Starker, Josef Silverstein, Mstislav Rostropovich.

From 1998-2008 Samvel was the principal violist of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra in Antwerp/Belgium, now known as Antwerp Symphony Orchestra.

In 2008 he moved to Lisbon/Portugal, where he is the principal viola of the Gulbenkian Orchestra.

In the same year he started to study conducting with Lawrence Foster. He was taking lessons from David Zinman, Gilbert Warga, Bertrand De Billy, Genady Rozdestvensky, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and many more great conductors.

Samvel Barsegian is the founder of Lisbon Chamber Orchestra, where he is the chief conductor and artistic director. From 2010 Samvel is conducting many orchestras around Europe, Russia and Armenia. In 2013 he had a debut with the Gulbenkian orchestra in Lisbon/Portugal.

Samvel is the guest principal violist of the Porto Symphony Orchestra (Casa de Música) and Tenerife Symphony Orchestra in the Canary Islands. He has taught at many masterclasses and festivals in Armenia, Belgium, England, Germany, Scotland, Portugal…

He currently holds a position of viola professor at the Escola Superior de Música in Lisbon.