Meet 2011 EHF Scholarship recipient, Kirstin (Hagopian) Westin.
Kirstin Weston completed her Bachelor of Arts in piano performance at UCLA in 2012 and her Master of Fine Arts in Piano Performance at UCI under Dr. Lorna Griffitt in 2014. She studied with Grammy-award winner Dr. Gloria Cheng at UCLA, Dr. Jennifer Snow, and international soloist Nakyong Chai before joining UCI.
Kirstin has performed extensively in Southern California, including as a featured soloist at the Edward Hosharian Memorial Concert at Zipper Hall in 2010. She achieved notable successes, such as winning gold at the Chopin Mazurka division of the Southwestern Youth Music Festival in 2008 and being a finalist in the Southern California Bach Competition the same year.
She has participated in master classes with renowned pianists like Emmanuel Ax and Menahem Pressler and was a young artist in the OC Chamber Music program. Kirstin co-founded The Weston Duo with her husband, Dr. Ryan Weston, who won gold at the Fischoff and Colman Chamber Music Competitions in 2010. They have performed at venues such as the Palos Verdes Library and Santa Monica College.
Kirstin is also active in music education and community leadership, having founded KW Music Studios. She offers private instruction in piano performance and pedagogy in Aliso Viejo and online, managing a team of instructors across Orange County. Beyond music, Kirstin enjoys spending time with her family and their dog, Oreo.