VIOLA
Dr. Misha Galaganov, Professor of Viola and Chair of Strings at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, won a solo competition of the entire Stavropol province of the former Soviet Union already at the age of 7. Before accepting a teaching position at TCU as viola and chamber music professor, he had briefly worked with the New Orlando Quartet in Amsterdam, Holland and had been engaged by Young Artists International for concerts in the USA. Solo and chamber music engagements have taken Galaganov to concert halls in the USA, Middle East, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. He has premiered more than twenty pieces for viola solo, viola sonatas, and viola in chamber music that were written specially for him by composers from Israel, Russia, Mexico, Peru, Belgium, Italy, Uruguay, and the USA. As Principal Viola of the Dallas Chamber Symphony, he premiered many pieces written for small symphony orchestra and string chamber ensembles.
An avid proponent of chamber music, Galaganov is the founder and director/coordinator of the following programs: Chamber Music Roundup Intensive String Quartet Workshop; Chamber Music Roundup festival for amateurs and students; Chamber Music Roundup Academy; Student Chamber Music at Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute; Chamber Music Program at the Youth Orchestra of the Greater Fort Worth; and Chamber Music Center in Steinway Hall, Fort Worth (co-founder). In addition, he is currently coordinating New Music Ensemble program at TCU.
Galaganov’s teaching activities took him to major conservatories around the world, including Juilliard, Rice University, Beijing Conservatory, and Shanghai Conservatory. He has taught and performed in several European and American Festivals, such as EuroArts festival in Germany, Orlando Festival in Holland, InterHarmony music festival in Italy, and Mimir festival, Summit Music Festival, Conservatory Music in the Mountains, and Wintergreen Festival in the USA. His former viola and violin students are now principal players in orchestras, university teachers, soloists and chamber music performers.
In addition to teaching and performing, Galaganov has written articles for major string publications, such as Strad Magazine, served as a reviewer for American String Teachers Association and given presentations at College Music Society and American Viola Society conferences. He is currently working on several research projects for book publications, and he has made transcriptions and arrangements for viola.
Dr. Galaganov has a violin performance degree from Min Vody College, Russia; BM in Viola Performance from Jerusalem Music Academy, Israel; Artist Certificate from SMU, and MM and DMA degrees from Rice University in Houston. He performs on a rare French viola, Mansuy a Paris.