She graduated from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (with honours, harp class of People’s Artist of the USSR, Professor K. A. Erdeli) and completed her postgraduate studies at the same institution (supervised by People’s Artist of the USSR, Professor V. G. Dulova).
Since 1980 she has taught harp at the Gnesin Moscow Special School of Music (College).
She is a laureate and grant holder of the «Russian Performing Art» Foundation. She has been awarded a diploma of the Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation «For faithful and noble service to the ideals of creativity», a personal prize of the «New Names» International Charity Foundation, as well as diplomas of many Russian and international competitions «For high pedagogical mastery and the training of prize‑winners».
She has been awarded the Medal of the Order «For Services to the Fatherland» II class and the title «Veteran of Labour».
M. M. Agazaryan is a specialist of the highest calibre. Her outstanding achievements in the field of harp pedagogy have made her name known not only in Russia but also abroad. Thirty‑six pupils and students of her class are laureates of all‑Union, Russian and the most prestigious international competitions, including multiple prize‑winners of competitions in the USA, France, Wales, Spain, Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia, Hungary and others. Five of her students have received concert harps from leading firms in the USA and France as the highest prize.
Graduates of M. M. Agazaryan’s class are now soloists of leading symphony and opera companies in the country (Bolshoi Theatre, Mariinsky Theatre, Svetlanov State Academic Symphony Orchestra, Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, State Symphony Orchestra «New Russia», Ural Philharmonic Orchestra, State Symphony Orchestra of Cinematography, «Helikon‑Opera», Natalya Sats Children’s Musical Theatre and others), and they also teach in various educational institutions, including higher education institutions in Switzerland, the USA and Japan.
Thanks to her wide recognition, M. M. Agazaryan is regularly invited to serve on the juries of the most respected competitions in Russia, France, the USA, Japan, Spain, Wales and Hungary. She regularly gives masterclasses in Russian cities (St Petersburg, Suzdal, Yakutsk and others) and abroad (Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hungary, Lithuania and others).
Since 2006 she has been a resident professor at the annual International Academy «Harp Masters» in Switzerland, and since 2010 a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Since 1993 she has been the initiator and President of the Russian Association of Harp Teachers. Under her leadership the Association, with her direct involvement, has held four subscription series, several Russian and open international competitions, an International Harp Festival in St Petersburg (1999) and thirteen Moscow International Festivals (2000–2013).
With the author’s participation and under the direction of M. M. Agazaryan, the following teaching and methodological works have been published:
- «Study Guide for Harp. Grades 1–3 of Children’s Music School»;
- «Ensembles with Harp. A Guide for Students of Grades 2–6 of Children’s Music School»;
- «Syllabus for the Special Harp Class for Children’s Music Schools and Schools of the Arts».
In 2005 the publishing house «Salvi Publication» (USA) issued, in the editorial version of M. M. Agazaryan, E. Walter‑Kühne’s Fantasy on Themes from Tchaikovsky’s opera «Eugene Onegin»; the publishing house «Harp Masters» (Switzerland) published Glinka–Balakirev’s «The Lark» (2009) and K. Erdeli’s «Elegy in Memory of Glinka» (2011) in her performance edition.
In addition, M. M. Agazaryan is the author of a number of articles in various journals and has repeatedly appeared on radio («Orpheus» and «Mayak»). A television film about her was made in the programme «Pedagogical Council. Teacher» (2006).
She took an active part in the filming of the documentary «Those Who Give Birth to Music. The Harp» on the «Kultur» TV channel (2012).
As a performer, M. M. Agazaryan has collaborated with many renowned ensembles, including the USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra under E. Svetlanov and the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra under V. Fedoseev, taking part in their concert programmes and touring across Europe and Asia, as well as in the recording of several CDs.
She regularly appears as an ensemble player in concerts with People’s Artist of Russia, Professor V. K. Tonkha.
In 2004 she was invited as an honorary guest to the VI International Harp Competition in the USA (Bloomington, Indiana), wh ere she performed a solo programme of works by Russian composers within the concert series «Masters Harpists».
She is a member of the Board of the Central House of Workers of the Arts and, since 2011, a member of the Directorate of the World Harp Congress, representing Russia.
