Audition Cafe

Introduction

A native New Yorker, Anastasia Christofakis, lives in Washington D.C. and is currently on faculty at Mount St. Mary’s University and the InterHarmony International Music Festival in Acqui Terme, Piedmont, Italy. Anastasia is a co-founder of the chamber ensemble Meraki, dedicated to using music to promote diversity and social justice. The ensemble plays music heavily rooted in the traditional musical idioms of the composers’ native countries, allowing the musicians to introduce new cultures and histories to audiences through music. They are a recipient of Chamber Music America’s 2018 Classical Commission Program for their collaboration with award winning composers, Jerod Tate.

Dr. Christofakis is an advocate of new music, believing strongly in the commissioning of new works and performing works by living composers. She is a member of the artist-run, nonprofit new music ensemble What is Noise, who saw the release of their debut album, Equivocal Duration by Centaur Records in March 2019.

In addition, she was the winner of the Presser Music Award for her project relating to Armenian music. She has studied and conducted research in Armenia on the folk and contemporary music of the country. Most recently she has been awarded an artist residency through the National Park Arts Foundation, and hosted by Gettysburg National Military Park.

Anastasia received her Doctor of Music degree in Clarinet Performance at Florida State University, her Master’s degree in Clarinet Performance from Roosevelt University and her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from James Madison University.