Ava Pakiam is a 13 year old violinist studying at the Pre College of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Ava was admitted into the Pre College program at age 7 and is currently a student of violin professor, Simon James.
In her first year at the conservatory, Ava was selected as the youngest first prize winner of the 2018 Pacific Musical Society Competition and had the honor of performing at the Green Room in San Francisco. She was also a featured soloist on the St. Francis Concert Series, giving her first public full recital that same year in San Francisco.
Ava made her solo debut at eight years old with orchestra in California performing the Mozart Concerto No. 2 with the Fremont Symphony. Later that summer, she performed Vivaldi’s Winter Concerto with the Sempre Musik Orchestra and New York Sinfonietta in Boston and New York City, making her solo debut at Carnegie Hall.
At age 11, Ava competed in the Seattle Young Artists Auditions. She was named a 2022 Seattle Symphony Young Artist and awarded the opportunity to perform as soloist with the Seattle Symphony on a 2021-2022 season concert playing Saint Saens Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso.
Along with this opportunity in Seattle, Ava was selected as one of the young artists to perform for a series of master classes and events with violinist, James Ehnes hosted by the Seattle Chamber Music Society.
In the winter of 2022, SFCM held a special donors event in the newly built award winning Bowes Center. Ava was chosen as the only student to represent SFCM and performed Vecsey’s Caprice No. 1, “Le Vent”, to a standing ovation.
In the summer of 2022, Ava attended the Sounding Point Academy in LA at the Colburn School. There she had the distinct privilege of being the youngest student chosen to perform in an evening recital which was live streamed by The Violin Channel.
In July of 2023, Ava was named one of the first recipients of Strumenti, affording her the long term loan of a 1871 Vuillaume.
Other notable performances in 2023 included solo appearances with the Prometheus Symphony (Prokofiev Concerto No. 2), Lynchburg Symphony (Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen and William Grant Still's Summerland), and Olympia Symphony (Barber Concerto, Mason Bates Mothership).
2024 performances include appearances with Filarmonia in Xalapa Mexico, Stockton Symphony, Washington Sinfoniettta, and Prometheus Symphony.
Ava is also an avid recitalist and performer of new music. She is appearing in many recital venues in the 2023-2024 season including the SFCM Bowes Center, Strathmore Hall, and in the guest recital series for Hood College.
In addition to music, Ava loves art, baking, and creative writing.
