Narain Darakananda is a distinguished violinist, string pedagogue, and music educator based in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Audiences have described his performances as “exceptionally moving” and “stunning.” He serves as String Faculty, Chamber Music Coach, and the Assistant Youth Orchestra Conductor at the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School. Concurrently, he is the general music and string teacher at Meeting Street. Narain’s concert career has included orchestral performances with Vallejo Symphony and Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera and solo appearances with the Bard College Community Orchestra and Candlelight Concert’s Vivaldi Four Seasons series in Providence and Newport. He can be found performing at venues such as Bishop McVinney Auditorium, Central Congregational Church, the Carter Center for Music Education and Performance, and Belcourt of Newport.
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A dedicated teacher, Narain draws extensively from his background as a performer, psychologist, and pedagogue. His students have won positions at the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Rhode Island Solo and Ensemble’s Honors Recital, Villa Sinfonia Foundation, CODA All-State Orchestras, Massachusetts Central District Orchestra, MICCA Gold Medal Showcase, Golden Gate Philharmonic, San Francisco All-City Middle School Youth Orchestra, and Ottawa Youth Symphony, and have played in masterclasses with notable violinists such as Yevgeny Kutik, Kay Stern, and Peter Jarvis. Previous faculty positions have included the Victoria’s Dream Project (VDP), Amabile School of Music, Music City Academy, Exploring Music SF, Northern California Music and Arts Cultural Center, and Zephyr Point Chamber Music Camp. Highlighting his extensive work in educational equity and community engagement, Narain and one of his students were the subject of the Papitto Opportunity Connection’s feature on the Victoria’s Dream Project.
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Narain began his violin studies at the Villa Sinfonia Foundation studying with Lynn Oakley. He earned his B.A. in music and psychology from Bard College, studying violin with Erica Kiesewetter and serving as her teaching assistant. During this time, he was also fortunate to receive mentorship from notable musicians such as Marka Gustavsson, James Bagwell, Kyle Gann, and Luis García-Renart. Narain would then go on to receive his M.M. in violin performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying violin with Kay Stern and chamber music with Joseph Maile and Jeremiah Shaw. As a student, he was a winner of the San Francisco Junior Bach Competition (2014), and the Bard College Community Orchestra Concerto Competition (2018) and has received masterclasses from violinists such as Lucie Robert, Jennifer Cho, and Tomas Cotik . Other awards include the Margaret and John Bard Scholars Prize in the Division of Arts (2021), the Margaret Creal Shafer Prizes in Composition and Performance (2021), and the Dr. Richard M. Siegel '43 Memorial Prize in Music (2020). He is also an alum of the Teaching Artist’s Training Institute 24’, Round Top Music Festival 18’, DeLay Starling Violin Symposium 19’, and Emerald Coast Chamber Music Festival 20’. Narain has the privilege of performing on a 1721 Antonio Zanotti violin.