Iranian cellist Niki Khabbazvahed has performed many solo, chamber, and orchestra concerts in her home country Iran, winning first prizes in a number of national competitions including Fair Music Festival Cello Competition, Iran National Youth Music Festival Competition, and Music School of Tehran String Competition. She was a regular member of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra and Tehran Philharmonic Orchestra from 2013-2015, and the principal cellist of the Music School of Tehran’s Symphony Orchestra from 2011-2014 where she performed as a soloist with the orchestra a number of times. Khabbazvahed’s performance experience in the US includes playing solo recitals in the states of Florida and Ohio, and performing with different orchestras and chamber groups in various states such as Colorado, Arkansas, California, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, New Mexico, and New York. Her Fantasio Piano Trio, which won First Prize in the Lynn Conservatory competition, performed at the Kosciusko Foundation of the Lyric Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in NY in May 2018.
In addition to performing, Khabbazvahed has taught extensively, with weekly private lessons to over 100 cello and piano students in the past two years. Her public teaching experience includes teaching at Plumosa School of the Arts in Delray Beach Florida, Lynn Conservatory Preparatory School of Music, secondary lessons at Oberlin Conservatory and Aspen Music Festival and School.
Khabbazvahed is currently pursuing her Master of Music degree in cello performance at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, under the tutelage of Brandon Vamos. She will graduate in May 2024. She completed her Artist Diploma degree in May 2021 at Oberlin Conservatory, where she studied with renowned cello pedagogue Darrett Adkins. She also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Lynn University Conservatory of Music, 2019. She has attended summer festivals such as Aspen Music Festival and School in 2018, 2021, and 2022, Hotsprings Music Festival, 2018, University of Mexico Summer Music Institute, 2018, and Brevard Music Center, 2017. Additionally, she has played in numerous master classes taught by some of the best musicians of our time including Lynn Harrell, Leon Fleisher, Johannes Moser, Richard Aaron, and Desomond Hoebig to name a few