Andrew Picken

Viola Session 3 and 4

Andrew Picken (Bachelor of Arts, University of California at Los Angeles; Master of Music, Northwestern University) is on the faculty at Pepperdine University and teaches viola at the prestigious Colburn School in Los Angeles as well as from his private studio. Mr. Picken is Principal Viola of the Pasadena Symphony, Associate Principal Viola of the LA Opera Orchestra and Principal Viola of the Los Angeles Master Chorale Orchestra. He has also lent his talents to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Oregon Bach Festival.

Mr. Picken is a dedicated pedagogue. His students have matriculated to many of the top music schools in the country including Juilliard, Oberlin Conservatory, New England Conservatory, Boston University, Colburn Conservatory, and USC. His students have won awards at numerous competitions, including the Johansen International Competition, Mondavi Center Young Artists National Competition, VOCE Competition, Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, Palisades Young Artists Award, and the Kiwanis Solo Competition in Los Angeles.

An avid chamber musician and founding member of the Pasadena String Quartet, Mr. Picken has performed on The Music Guild concert series in Bel Air, Gold Coast Chamber Music Festival, Rocky Ridge Music Festival, Chamber Music Unbound, Green Lake Music Festival, Sundays Live at LACMA, Lake Chelan Bach Festival, Nevada Chamber Music Festival, South Bay Chamber Music Series, Seal Beach Chamber Music Festival, Enlightenment Chamber Music Series, and has been an invited guest artist with the Felici Piano Trio, and the La Fayette String Quartet.

Mr. Picken also served as conductor of the Rocky Ridge Music Festival in Estes Park, Colorado, and is the recipient of two Grammy Awards (Best Classical Recording and Best Opera Album, 2009) for LA Opera’s production of Kurt Weill’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, released on DVD on the EuroArts label.