My musical studies began at the National Conservatory of Music in Beirut, Lebanon. I started learning the piano at six and switched to the cello when I was nine. I continued playing the piano for quite some time after that. But my focus turned to the cello at the age of twelve when I began playing the J.S. Bach Suites for the first time. After my family moved to Los Angeles in 1980, I studied at the California State University Los Angeles with Nino Rosso, one of the principal cellists of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and Sevan Pogosyan, a pupil of Mstislav Rostropovich.
I earned my Bachelor of Music in cello performance from California State University, Los Angeles, in 1987.

I won numerous prizes and competitions in Lebanon and the United States during my studies. These include, among others, the Friends of Music Scholarship award, the award for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Summer Institute program, the Calouste Gulbenkian award, the Solo Performance Winner Competition, the Armenian Allied Arts Association Competition First Price award, and the Fern Buckner award for the American Federation of Musicians competition. My performance history is substantial, as I have played in many different ensembles and orchestras in the Los Angeles area.

I am also a former elementary school classroom teacher with a professional clear teaching credential. Therefore, I have worked extensively in music and education for many years.

My parents passed away during the past seven years, in 2017 and 2023.
They taught me to be courageous and perseverant throughout my life. I have always done my best to uphold that standard daily.