Armenian-American Cara Pogossian is currently a student at the New England Conservatory, where she is pursuing a Master of Music degree with Kim Kashkashian. She is a recent graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree under the tutelage of Hsin-Yun Huang and Misha Amory. Cara is the newly appointed principal violist of the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and served as Co-Principal Viola of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra during the 2019-20 season, which included a US tour in early 2020. She has appeared as a guest artist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Phoenix, and the Chameleon Arts Ensemble. Prior to her studies at Curtis, Cara attended the Colburn Music Academy, where she worked with Paul Coletti and Che-Yen (Brian) Chen. As an AGBU (Armenian General Benevolent Union) Scholarship recipient, she has performed at several high-profile concerts, including a joint recital with her brother, Edvard, at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. An avid chamber musician, Cara has attended numerous summer festivals, including the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Taos School of Music, Perlman Music Program, and Yellow Barn Young Artists Program. In 2022, Cara was the winner of the Borromeo String Quartet Guest Artist Award, and also toured with the Curtis Institute, performing Schubert’s Cello Quintet in various US cities with Ida Kavafian and Peter Wiley. Cara is lucky enough to have an entire family of musicians, with whom she frequently performs. During the pandemic, the Pogossian/Manouelian Clarinet Quintet collaborated with composers Timo Andres, Ian Krouse, Artashes Kartalyan, and Aida Shirazi, premiering each of their works in a series of online concerts.