Born in San Francisco to Russian and Armenian émigré parents, Orbelian made his debut as a piano prodigy with the
San Francisco Symphony at the age of 11. After graduating from The
Juilliard School in New York, he embarked on a career as a concert pianist appearing with major symphony orchestras throughout the
U.S.,
U.K.,
Europe, and the
Soviet Union. His recording of the
Khachaturian piano concerto with conductor
Neeme Järvi won "Best Concerto Recording of the Year" award in the
United Kingdom. He was also a guest conductor for the
American Russian Young Artists Orchestra. Orbelian's appointment in 1991 as music director of the
Moscow Chamber Orchestra was a breakthrough event: he is the first American ever to become music director of an ensemble in Russia. He was later the music director of the Philharmonia of Russia and is the founder of the annual Palaces of St. Petersburg International Music Festival. Orbelian has been principal conductor of the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra in Lithuania since 2014, and in 2016 he also became General and artistic director of the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in Yerevan, Armenia. His appointment in June 2021 to the leadership posts at New York City Opera is a landmark in efforts to revive the company's performance profile. who included pianist
Van Cliburn and conductor
Riccardo Muti, and which singles out non-Russians whose work contributes to the betterment of international relations with the Russian Federation and its people. From his 1995 performance at the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the United Nations in San Francisco to his 2004 performance at the U.S. State Department commemorating 70 years of diplomatic relations between Washington and Moscow, and a repeat State Department appearance in 2007, all with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Orbelian continues to use his artistic eminence in the cause of international goodwill. He and his orchestras have also participated in cultural enrichment programs for young people in Russia and the U.S. In 2001 Orbelian was awarded the
Ellis Island Medal of Honor, an award given to immigrants, or children of immigrants, who have made outstanding contributions to the United States. He was awarded the Order of Friendship of Armenia in 2015. In 2025 he was elected to be the new music director of the Israel Sinfonietta
Beer Sheva. ==Discography==