Conductor Raffi Mikaelian is a well known conductor in Armenia. Mikaelian was born on June 12,1985 in Kuwait and was raised in Lebanon. Raffi began his musical career at the age of six when his mother, wanting to raise a well rounded son, thought it beneficial to enroll her son in piano lessons. Although he ended his piano lessons four years later, he always felt a great passion towards music and experimented with many concepts regarding dynamics and rhythms. Even as a young musician, Raffi sought individuality as a musician. At the age of sixteen, he insisted on resuming his piano lessons after a six year break in his training. During this six year interruption in his formal studies, he attended many concerts of both vocal and instrumental, which fed his growing desire to continue his musical studies. In 2000, Raffi enrolled in Beirut's P.Ganatchian Musical College , to pursue his dream of becoming a conductor, despite the fact that he did not excel in his studies as a pianist. One day, his classmate introduced him to the famous choirmaster, Zakar Keshishian, who advised him to consider attending choral conducting lessons to start, rather than orchestra conducting because he did not play an instrument. With this in mind, in 2002, he studied both piano and choral conducting. After six months he conducted his first choir. In 2003 he graduated from the Levon and Sophia Hagopian Armenian College with bachelors in sociology and economy. At the suggestion of Zakar Keshishian, Raffi then enrolled in Yerevan's State Conservatory to continue his studies in Choral Conducting.Raffi moved to Yerevan to follow his dream and to fulfill the prophecy of a family friend who started calling him "Maestro" at the age of six. He graduated in 2008 and 2010 with Masters and post-graduate degrees in Choral conducting and a Bachelor in Orchestra Conducting. Mr. Mikaelian is Artistic Director of the "Paros" Chamber Choir since 2009 . Over the past five years , together they won four Silver Medals at the "World Choir Games" 2014 & 2016 in Riga, Latvia, and Sochi, Russia; they also won two Bronze Bands and a "Special Award for presenting Armenian Music" in Bratislava, Slovakia and performed in Vienna,Austria . In summer of 2016 they performed a concert for Pope Francis in Armenia. With the "Havatamk" female choir ,he won First prize and Best Conductor at the "Kolozha Blogovest" International Competition in Grodno,Belarus. In 2010 Mr. Mikaelian and "Paros" performed with Placido Domingo in Yerevan,Armenia. Mr. Mikaelian conducted all three Major orchestras in Armenia. Mikaelian has worked with artists such as Placido Domingo, Jeffrey Douma, Davit Karapetyan and musicians of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. Guest conducting appearances include work with the "Open Arts Community Choir" in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the St.Petersburg Youth Orchestra in Russia. Raffi is the Assistant Conductor of all orchestras at San Diego State University where he is pursuing post-graduate studies in Orchestral Conducting. His principal teachers of conducting are Zakar Keshishian, Ivan Vartanyan, Ruben Asatryan and Michael Gerdes. He has participated in Masterclasses and festivals with Kenneth Kiesler, Colin Metters and Dr. Patrick Walders. Mr.Mikaelian is a resident of California since 2014.     Tweet