In the summer of 1999, after 14 years of studying the harp in the United States, I boarded a plane for Moscow, Russia, to study with Milda Agazarian. It was a life-changing decision. In the United States, the Russian school of harp playing is largely unknown, even today. Yet, after just a few weeks of study there, it was clear that I had only scratched the surface of what this amazing pedagogue could teach me about the Russian method. I entered Milda’s class and spent two years under her tutelage, becoming one of the few Americans to ever study at the Russian Gnessin’s Academy of Music. During that time, I had several hours of lessons each week, delving deep into the Russian technical method and expanding my repertoire significantly. Milda was demanding and kind, always explaining the reasons behind what she requested, and never letting me leave the studio before I was capable of doing what she asked. Milda Agazarian is easily one of the world’s greatest harp pedagogues, having produced numerous prize-winning harpists, sat on the board of many festivals, and regularly judged international competitions. The keys to her great success lie in her absolute dedication to the art of teaching and in the sincerity with which she approaches her students and her work. She is both genuine and genius. I had the pleasure of catching up with Milda over a Zoom call during a brief vacation from her rigorous teaching schedule. 

Harp Column: Let’s talk about your early life and harp studies. Where did you grow up?

Milda Agazarian: I was born in Yerevan in Armenia in the middle of the Second World War. But when I was only 1 year old, my parents moved to Moscow, and now I have been living here almost all of my life. 

HC: And when did you start studying the harp?

MA: Such a story! I entered the Moscow Gnessin’s Special Music School [Gnesinka] when I was 7, but I began to study music at the age of 6. From 6 until the age of 11, my main instrument was the piano because, at that time, it was the tradition to start harp, not at 6, but later. Since this is a school for high-level professionals, there were competitive classes where they determined which instrument was the most promising for each individual student. At this time, they determined that my abilities for a musical career were good, but it became obvious that my hands were too small for the piano. Then, the head of our school—a fantastic musician, like a father to me—advised my parents to consider the harp. No one in my family knew anything about the harp. I entered the class of the wonderful teacher, Mark Rubin, my first harp teacher, and I became a harpist. I never regretted it later. I fell in love with this unique instrument with all of my heart. I also continued to study the piano. I was very dedicated to both. 


Russian School

Milda Agazarian, pictured above as a student in 1958, says her opportunities to study with three Russian masters during her schooling were destiny. “You understand many years later what you truly received and that it all mattered,” she says. Agazarian’s three teachers were (from top to bottom) Mark Rubin, Ksenia Erdely, and Vera Dulova.


HC: Was music part of your family heritage?

MA: No one in my family, nor any of my relatives, were musicians. I was the first. I mostly had relatives who were doctors or teachers, but music was the dream of my mother. She didn’t manage to get a musical education because it was a difficult time. When I was born, she promised herself that she would definitely teach me music. She devoted her whole life to me in every way that she could. I realize that I owe everything to my mother, and I thank her in everything I do.

HC: In the United States, we usually don’t have our lessons in school, so how is this organized?

MA: The lessons were all at school, and they were organized according to the music education of the USSR. For a long time, I didn’t have an instrument at home. Harps were very expensive and difficult to buy. Actually, they were impossible to buy, I must say. Everyone practiced at school before and after classes. When I did eventually have my own harp, it was a very old, used Erard. 

The system we have of education in Russia is probably the best thing we inherited from the USSR. The creators of this system were the outstanding musicians of that time. Now, the world is changing, so we continue this system, but we adjust it a little. It is similar to that in other parts of Europe. Unfortunately, there have been a lot of years that we have been losing the professionalism and desire to be at the European level—always the best. This is just my opinion. There are still a huge number of music schools for children who want to get the general education. They pay for this education, but it is not so expensive. Then there are colleges where you can continue these studies. The best graduates of these schools go to these colleges.

However, beyond the general music schools, there is a type of special music school, like our Moscow Gnessin’s Special Music School [Gnesinka]. There are only 11 or 12 of these special music schools in all of Russia, and they are located only in large cities. The most gifted 5- or 6-year-old children are selected for these schools by competition. They are then taught for 11 years in all musical and general subjects. Upon graduation they receive a diploma and then enter the Academy or Conservatory. There is also post-graduate study for the most promising students. The training follows a strict system. They receive training in music theory, ensemble, orchestra, pedagogy, and more. Lessons on their individual instrument are for two hours a week, and then three hours a week in college. This time is very important and everything is paid for by the state. However, in recent years we have started to follow the Bologne system for our higher education—a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree—but the curriculum for music study remains unchanged. So now, this is our system in Russia for musical education. 

HC: So when you were little did you practice on the harp at the school every day? 

MA: Right now at Gnessins we have 11 harps that we can rent to the students for very little, but also now it is possible to buy a harp in Russia. You can buy a Camac, Lyon & Healy, or Salvi. Yes, it has changed so much from when you were studying here, Nicole! But, if you remember, we had the old, terrible Soviet harps, and we still have some of those that we use. They are terrible, but they work for the younger students, not for college of course! However, in the ordinary music schools, a lot of the students practice at school. But now, in Moscow and St. Petersburg it is possible to rent lever harps. We have a lot of lever harps, and I am so happy they started this system because this was impossible several years ago. So, now we have a lot of harpists and a big interest in this instrument. 

HC: Tell us a little bit about your own education. Who were your harp teachers?

MA: I must say that I am a very happy person. I had the opportunity to learn from three legendary Russian harpists of the 20th century: Mark Rubin at school, Ksenia Erdely at college, and Vera Dulova for my post-graduate studies. This is destiny for me. Something there helped make this possible for me. 

HC: What are some important things that you learned from each of these teachers?

MA: Everything turned out to be important. It’s true. You understand many years later what you truly received and that it all mattered. Now a little about each of them. 

Mark Rubin worked with incredible enthusiasm. He worked for days without getting tired—absolute perpetuum mobile. He had fantastic energy. He taught me to work, to be dedicated to the profession, to have love and interest in the harp, and to have an honest attitude toward myself and my colleagues. This is very important. 

Ksenia Erdely was a great musician, a representative of the aristocracy, and a subtle and deep interpreter. She possessed an incredibly melodious sound and almost vocal legato. She taught me to listen to myself and achieve sincerity and expressiveness of phrasing. She created interesting programs of concerts, where we played not only solos, but also many ensembles, especially with vocalists.

Vera Dulova does not need to be introduced—this is another legend of the Russian harp school, a great personality! I learned a lot in her class because at that time there was a fantastic group of harpists in her class. What did I learn? The highest level of professionalism, a great technical foundation, and a huge repertoire. In her class, I was especially attracted by the opportunity to study works of contemporary composers that previously had very limited availability. The ’60s, this was a very interesting period for us, and we were all carried away by new trends. Thanks to Vera Dulova, I first went to Holland for Harp Week, where a new world opened up for me. It was 1969, the 10th Harp Week, where I realized how diverse and interesting the harp world is. It was my first trip abroad. I made many friends in different countries. There was a powerful incentive to improve my English, of course!

You ask about my teachers, but it wasn’t only harp teachers that taught me though. The whole time taught me, and I received everything from everyone. It was a special time. 

HC: Were there special concerts or festivals you participated in then? 

MA: We all regularly participated in special concerts—it was an obligatory part of the educational process. It’s no secret that only the stage teaches the stage! But still in those years there were still not many concerts, festivals, and competitions like now. Everything was strictly regulated. Now our students have great opportunities to show their capabilities from the earliest years, not only in Russia, but in any country in the world. And this is good!

HC: Let’s talk a little about your studies. Where did you go to school and who was your harp teacher then?

MA: The Moscow Gnessin’s Music School. It is one of the most famous musical educational institutions not only in Russia, but in the world. This year it turns 75 years old. I am proud that I graduated from this school in 1962 with a gold medal, and now I have been teaching there for 41 years following the death of my unforgettable teacher Mark Rubin.

HC: What was school life like when you went to the conservatory?

MA: I was very lucky in my life to study at the Moscow Conservatory from 1962 to 1969. It was a truly golden period of the Conservatory, with great musicians such as Heinrich Neuhaus [piano], Yakov Flier [piano], David Oistrakh [violin], Leonid Kogan [violin], Yuri Yankelevich [violin], Sviatoslav Knushevitsky [cello], Mstislav Rostropovich [cello] and many others. On the other hand, a new galaxy of outstanding performers was born—those who today are considered the pride of the Russian school. We basically lived in the conservatory, with Tchaikovsky competitions and concerts of great musicians from all over the world nourishing our souls and forming the attitude towards music that we still live with today. We only had to correspond to the level that was laid in us by our teachers.

HC: What experiences did you have that helped you the most on your path to become a great harpist and teacher?

MA: I do not consider myself a great teacher and harpist, but everything that I received during my years of study and professional work and meeting with great musicians from different countries—this is my equipment. Additionally, [harpist and pedagogue] Klementina Baklanova played a special role in my teaching career. She was a direct student of the great Alexander Slepushkin. It was from her that I received the most valuable information about his school of playing the harp and about the secrets of staging and sound production. All of this mixed in my head with my previous knowledge.

HC: Once you finished your studies, what were your first jobs as a professional harpist?

MA: After graduating from the conservatory, I had the opportunity to collaborate with the State Symphony Orchestra—the best at that time. I worked under the baton of Evgeny Svetlanov for almost 10 years, and these were happy years that I will never forget! I have always felt happiness from working with a good team and with a wonderful conductor. I also played with a lot of ensembles and collaborated with many composers.

HC: When did you start teaching harp?

MA: Teaching has always been interesting to me. I think it was in my genes. I started teaching almost immediately after graduating from the conservatory. First, I taught the piano, because there was no vacancy for harp, and then later the harp. In total, my teaching experience is 58 years. Later, when the question arose of what to choose to teach or work in the orchestra, for me the answer was obvious. I chose to teach.

HC: Tell me more about your teaching. How did you become a harp teacher?

MA: I started teaching at an ordinary children’s music school, where all children are taught for general development. This was also an important experience before starting to work in a special school for especially gifted children, like Gnesinka [Moscow Gnessin’s Special Music School]. Then I was invited to the Russian Gnessin Academy of Music, because my students showed excellent results in exams and competitions.

HC: What are the most important parts of your teaching?

MA: There are no unimportant moments in the learning process. My task is to teach and graduate a high-class professional. The unique part of my process is that I start teaching from 5–6 years old and continue all the way until graduation from college. [Harpists had started at 10–11 years old before this]. In general, it is about 18–19 years of study in total. My students are practically my children who grew up with me! Many of my students later bring their children to me. I have been a harp “grandmother” many times.

HC: During your time teaching, what innovations have you created?

MA: The first thing I did was to stop taking children from other instruments at the age of 10–11, as was the custom before. For me, it is important that the child chooses the harp consciously. It’s like first love! True, during my studies at school there were big problems with instruments and repertoire. We started late, because there was not enough diatonic repertoire. Everything was given at once with pedals. Then I came up with extension pedals for little harpists. Sometimes I still use them.

HC: With such a deep history and experience in teaching, what qualities do you think make a good student? What skills or characteristics are important for a student to develop?

MA: A good student is a great gift for a teacher. After all, talent is also needed for successful study. For success in studies, it is necessary for the student to combine several points: musical talent and love for the instrument, natural musicality and musical intellect, the ability to work and to concentrate on the task, patience, health, parental support, and strong character. For me, direct connection with a student is very important. If we have this connection, the result will be good. We must work together. The teacher is not a magician, but only a guide to the world of the profession. I like students who know how to think, have character, charisma, and interest not only in their successes, but also in life and in art in general.

HC: I always felt you were one of the most supportive teachers I had ever had, and yet you were able to be demanding at the same time. How do you balance those two things in your teaching?

MA: This is a good question. Many times in my life I have seen talented students who have not truly connected with their teacher. Strong connection with your teacher is a great happiness in life. It is difficult to reach the heights of success without the necessary support, because there are failures. Our profession is very difficult, and the competition is huge. You need to have someone really close, interested in you, someone who will believe and help when you yourself no longer believe. I always tell my students: the only stimulus for self-development is your inner critic, which leads to the dream. I help to educate this inner critic using the best examples I can.

HC: As you look at your teaching career, what do you see as your greatest successes as a teacher?

MA: Well, perhaps the greatest success of my teaching is that from my studio have come more than 40 laureates of various competitions, including the winner of the USA International Harp Competition, Maria Krushevskaya, and seven more award winners of this competition; the winner of the Lily Laskine Competition, Tatyana Oskolkova, and several more award winners of this competition; the winners of the competition in Wales, Elizaveta Kozina, Valeria Voshchennikova, and Evgenia Marchenko; winner of the Sofia competition, Kristina Rozhkova, winner of the Erdeli competition, Vasilisa Lushchevskaya; winner of the Seoul competition, Maria Mikhailovskaya; winner of the Concertino Prague Competition, Aleksandra Arsenova; winners of the chamber ensemble competition in Spain, and many others. Six times my students received Lyon & Healy and Camac harps as the main prize. This is an absolute record for Russia. Once in an interview many years ago I was asked, “How will your students acquire a harp? It’s so expensive!” My answer turned out to be prophetic: “We have only one way—to win one!” This has been a blessing to all of us.

HC: I know that you have taught many summer programs over the years. Tell me about HarpMasters and other masterclasses you teach.

MA: The idea for HarpMasters came up unexpectedly in 2004 in Dublin during the [World Harp] Congress. My former student, Irina Zingg, who at that time was already living in Switzerland, offered to do a course on disseminating the experience of the Russian harp school in Europe. At that time we were at the Congress with my dear “harp sister,” Skaila Kanga, and were thinking about how we could do something interesting together.

We combined both ideas, Irina brilliantly organized everything, and the very first experience showed the success and timeliness of this event. Subsequently, the program of the course was enriched with new additions and directions (baroque, jazz, orchestral practice, concerts, and masterclasses of outstanding harpists, a group for juniors, etc.) Many auditors have come for more than one year. Now this is one of the most famous programs. I really love to be there. I have had the opportunity to meet many interesting students, and I am glad of their success. Some of them were invited to Moscow for festivals and internships.

Another dear moment for me was the invitation to be a visiting professor of the Royal Academy of Music in London. This is a great honor. In this world-famous institution, there were only two representatives from Russia: Friedrich Lips, also a professor from the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music for the bayan and accordion class, and myself. I also received the Honorary Associate certificate, but due to the pandemic, our contacts have been suspended.

I have held masterclasses several times in many countries of the world; by now it is too long to list. For the last five years, I have also worked annually at the Summer School in Gnesinka. This is a very successful project, which every year gains more and more participants. Last year there were more than 300 well-known musicians of both classical and jazz, an orchestra, groups for beginners, theory classes, choir, and dance. Traditionally, we hold “Arfa-Gala” [Harp Gala] with the participation of our graduates. I am happy that they love the harp so much and call our class “The Trademark of Gnesinka.”

An international harp family

 

“I am a really happy person because fate gave me acquaintance and friendship with many outstanding musicians and harpists,” says Milda Agazarian. Meeting at festivals and competitions around the world, Agazarian counts many of the world’s premier pedagogues as her closest friends.


HC: You mentioned Skaila Kanga, and I know you have more than one harp “sister” around the world. I have always admired this about you. Who are some of these sisters, and how did you meet? How has this community blessed your life?

MA: I am a really happy person because fate gave me acquaintance and friendship with many outstanding musicians and harpists! I have two special “harp sisters”—Carrol McLaughlin, who has left us, unfortunately, and Skaila Kanga, whom everyone also knows.

I met Carrol in Japan, at the Fukui Festival. A sweet blonde came up to me in the morning for breakfast at the hotel, looked at my badge, and held out her hand. “I am Carrol McLaughlin from the USA, I studied with Maria Korchinskaya.” My answer: “I am Milda Agazarian from Moscow, I studied with Vera Dulova, a student of Maria Korchinskaya!” After which we embraced and shouted, “Sisters!” This is how our long-term friendship began. She was an amazing woman. Her energy, kindness, and high professionalism were a lesson to all. I invited her twice to Moscow and St. Petersburg, many funny and touching moments are kept in my memory. Once she even brought her famous ensemble with her. Actually, she is the connection that brought you to Moscow, Nicole. 

My other dear “harp sister” Skaila Kanga, whom I met in Deauville, France, when I was part of the jury for the Lily Laskine competition. I immediately had the feeling that it was me, only I looked different. Such a coincidence of tastes, ideas about life, about art, about everything in the world. Such a surprisingly similar sense of humor and self-irony—it was not for nothing that we were later called “twins!” It’s easier for me to live when I know that there is Skaila, who understands me like no one else. I can talk to her and laugh endlessly. I always admire her diverse talents. Since I have no siblings, this is a gift of fate!

HC: Why has it been important to build relationships outside of your studio, city, and country?

MA: This is a question that I don’t even know how to answer. How could it work in our profession without relationships with colleagues? A musician is a public profession; it is impossible to live and develop only within oneself. 

For many years, during my youth, contacts outside the country were closed for us. Only from the words of our professor, Vera Dulova, who freely traveled abroad, we could have some idea of ​​what was happening in the harp world—what performers, composers, competitions, etc. there were. Sometimes we listened to Grandjany’s recordings at her house. We were convinced that we were the best. 

After visiting the Harp Week in Holland, and especially later when I attended the competition in Israel with my students, I began to understand how much I needed to learn, but also where we were really strong. It was there that I met the amazing harpist and musician Marielle Nordmann. I cannot but name Susanna Mildonian, Susann McDonald, Isabelle Perrin, Jakez François, and many, many great harpists who have had a huge impact on my worldview. If you list them all, it will take half the magazine. As they say in Russia, I bow to everyone.

I must say that in addition to pedagogy I was always interested in useful social activity. So in the beginning, I was the main assistant to my professor Vera Dulova in the work of the All-Union Creative Association of Harpists, from 1970 to 1991. After the collapse of the USSR, in 1993, with the support of Irina Zingg and others, we organized The Russian Association of Harp Teachers (RAHT) which has been successfully operating to this day. As the President of RAHT, I organized many different events in Moscow including concerts, masterclasses, Days of the French Harps, The Moscow International Harp Festival (annually since 2000). I invited a lot of well-known great harpists from abroad for their first visit to Russia.

With great pleasure, I take part in the World Harp Congress on the Board of Directors. It’s a great honor for me, and I try to be as useful as I can. In addition to all these loads, I am the Head of Cello, Double Bass, and Harp Department in Gnessin’s School, and I am a member of the board of the Central House of the Arts of Russia. So a lot of different [roles], but this is my life, and I like it! It is true that interesting work prolongs life!

HC: You have become a well-known and valued judge for international competitions. What advice would you give to young harpists as they prepare for competitions?

MA: I am not a fan of contests, but I recognize their value in certain circumstances and quantities. Competitions stimulate, help to master a large and varied repertoire faster and better, promote technique, memory, concentration, and other important aspects for a successful career. On the other hand, I’m sure that it’s only success that really stimulates, so I try to carefully consider from all sides who and when one should participate in the competition. It is worth participating in the competition only when you can play the entire program, and not just one round, because in this case, even if you did not receive an award, or played not quite successfully, there is a result—an elevation in level of ability. This means that the direction is correct, because not everyone can play a program of three rounds, let alone four, as in Bloomington or Israel. In addition, by participating in the competition you get a lot of information about what the level of harpists of your generation is at the moment, and you can get valuable advice from respected members of the jury. All this is also a plus. I’m not even talking about the special atmosphere, the number of new friends and new experiences. Well, success gives wings! But I always tell my students: You won, congratulations. Now take a little rest and move on. This is just a competition, not the whole of life. Take it calmly. Today, here, in this competition, with this program, with this jury, and the composition of the contestants, you are a winner. Six months later, in another competition, with a different program, with a different jury, and a different composition of the contestants, you may not qualify for the second round. Develop, think, find your way. Qualitative preparation for international competitions requires at least two years of serious preparation, depending on the complexity of the program. The main thing to remember is that it is not the speed or complexity of the performed program that is most valued, but such simple qualities as individuality, culture of sound and phrasing, inner freedom, and understanding of style, artistry—in a word: music.

HC: Did you always imagine that you would be a professional harpist?

MA: No, I didn’t think about it at all when I came to school. I wanted to make music, and that’s it. A conscious attitude to the profession came much later. I clearly remember this moment at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow when I heard Van Cliburn perform. He won then, and his performance was a shock for us. Then, for the first time, I understood for sure that music is what I wanted to devote my life to. At that time, I had been playing the harp for several years, and the path to the profession was determined.

HC: Some day, when your current students are teaching their own students, what things do you hope that they will have learned from you that they pass down to their students?

MA: Among my students there are mainly soloists of leading orchestras and theaters (Bolshoi, Mariinsky, etc.), but some of them find interest in pedagogy. I’m glad they are good at it. Teaching is difficult and is not always a rewarding process. To be successful you need to love this process very much, learn all the time from everyone and everything, and have great patience.

I really love this “second family” of mine—the Gnessin’s harpists. I have both children and grandchildren here. I am glad that they all are friends with each other, seek advice from each other, invite each other to their concerts, and congratulate each other on their successes. This atmosphere is perhaps the most valuable thing in our class. Moreover, this is not a “clan,” we are friends with everyone.   And the only subscription cycle in Gnesinka, dedicated entirely to the harp, I called “The Gnessin’s Harpists Invite.” I dream that my students will pass on not only my “secrets,” but also an honest attitude towards music and colleagues. The world is big and there is enough room for everyone!

And at the end, I would like to add that I am not a fanatical teacher who thinks only about how to produce competition winners 24 hours a day! I am the happy mother of a talented daughter-pianist and absolutely crazy grandmother of two beloved granddaughters. In my life, I have true friends, good literature, nature, travel, shopping, and a lot of humor!