About Audrey Vardanega

Praised as a “[musically] eloquent” (San Francisco Classical Voice) player “with the kind of freedom, authority, and strength…that one expects from the world’s finest pianists” and a “bewitching musical presence” (The Piedmont Post), American pianist and arts entrepreneur Audrey Vardanega (b.1995) has performed as a solo and collaborative pianist across Europe, China and America.

She has appeared at venues such as Merkin Hall at The Kaufman Music Center, Hangzhou Grand Theater, Princeton University Concerts,Tippet Rise Arts Center, Festival Napa Valley, Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, Teatro del Libertador San Martín, The Ravinia Festival, Gordon Music Series, San Francisco’s Old First Concerts, Herbst Theater, Festival Napa Valley, Rockefeller University, Valley of the Moon Music Festival and more.

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Audrey began her piano studies at the age of six with Araks Aghazarian. She began formal piano training with Robert Schwartz at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music from 2002 to 2013 as well as formal composition training with Arkadi Serper at the Berkeley Crowden School from 2004 to 2013. Her past instructors include Seymour Lipkin, Jeremy Siepmann, Christopher Elton and Victor Rosenbaum.

Audrey earned her B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University in May 2017 and received her Masters in Music in May 2019 from Mannes The New School under the tutelage of Richard Goode. Upon graduation, she founded Musaics of the Bay, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting musicians, composers, and visual artists for collaborations, residency programs, mentorship, and the creation of new work in the Bay Area and beyond.

Audrey also serves as the Director of Operations at The Autumn Salon, a NYC-based magazine, film production house and concert series that features world-class performances shared in intimate settings.

Audrey is passionate about providing emerging artists with opportunities to shape their own artistic careers by creating new communities and reimagining patronage. When she’s not playing piano or organizing concerts, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her shih-tzu and morkie, Romeo and Bear.