Ava Shadmani

In-Person Lessons

Ava Shadmani earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She studied with David Perry of the Pro Arte Quartet and was awarded a full scholarship position in UW’s prestigious graduate string quartet.

Ava is a versatile chamber musician and has performed various concerts in her country, as well as Europe, and Northern America. She is a former violinist of the Arvand String Quartet, an active chamber ensemble in Iran that has appeared in several performances and recordings with the goal of bringing classical music into more accessible venues in Iran.

As an Iranian woman with a deep passion for Persian culture and music, Ava has appeared in multiple concerts and projects performing works by Iranian composers. Recently she was awarded the David and Edith Sinaiko Frank fellowship for a Woman in the Arts for her project “Unheard Voices of Iran ” in the United States. This project introduces five folk-inspired compositions by Iranian composers and it consists of two parts: live performances and professional recording of both premieres and commissioned pieces with the goal of fostering an understanding of two cultures seemingly impossibly divided, East to West, Ancient to Modern.

Originally from Tehran, Iran, Ava began her musical journey at the age of 11. In 2016, she relocated to the United States to pursue a master’s degree in Violin Performance at the University of Maryland, where she was honored to receive the prestigious Smith Scholarship. Prior to her studies in the U.S., Ava earned a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from the University of Tehran.

Teaching has been a significant part of Ava’s career. She has taught students of all backgrounds, from young children to adults, and has performed multiple outreach programs for more than a decade. She is passionate about making the learning process a fun experience for everyone while helping students find their unique ways of playing at ease and expressing their emotions and musical ideas. In her free time, she enjoys practicing yoga, cooking, and playing kamanche for her cat Nabaat!