Tatar-American violinist and violist Farkhad K. Abdikadirov is a dedicated teaching artist whose work bridges Baroque and modern performance. He made his conducting debut at age 12, leading a Beethoven Program with the Uzbekistan National Conservatory Orchestra. A resident of Cambridge, MA, he maintains an active career as a violinist and violist, performing in chamber and orchestral settings and collaborating with historically informed and contemporary ensembles. At Harvard, he co-directs Viola@Harvard – an all-viola ensemble – with his wife and has been a chamber music coach and operations manager with the Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra. His practice as a therapeutic music practitioner and position as the former concertmaster of the Me2 Orchestra Boston have shaped his understanding of how music can sustain dignity, memory, and connection later in life, reinforcing the idea of how powerful and personal music remains for older adults, and how carefully chosen repertoire and pacing can create genuine moments of joy and connection.
Farkhad’s recent performance portfolio highlights include performing under the direction of Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Christoph Wolff, and Gustavo Dudamel; directing an all-Harvard composer program performance with Viola@Harvard during the Harvard Arts Fest; premiering a contemporary string quartet with members of the JACK String Quartet; touring with period orchestra Grand Harmonie as a baroque violinist; and directing Feast of Affections – a baroque string orchestra experience designed for adult amateur string players – at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Harvard Square. A graduate of the Longy School of Music of Bard College, Farkhad has been awarded teaching fellowships at universities, conservatories, and music festivals. He has performed in masterclasses for violinists and violists of international reputation – Dylana Jensen, Roger Tapping, Roberto Diaz, Caroline Coade, and Mai Motobuchi; and studied chamber music with members of the Blair, Juilliard, and Borromeo String Quartets.
Farkhad’s artistry is informed by two decades of teaching and stage experience and by a commitment to the notion that adult members of society must have an opportunity and a right to become involved in arts activities and extend their range of experiences. He prides himself on offering adult learners opportunities which are often erroneously thought to be the prerogative of a few talented professional artists; and introducing students to the praxis of creative and expressive musical performance through historic texts and engaging programs. He is a certified Teaching Artist equally at home teaching and performing for audiences in concert halls of Uzbekistan, correctional facilities of Massachusetts, and churches of Mississippi.
