Christopher Ohanian, 20, was raised in Ft. Lauderdale and, until college, never went to school.  His parents homeschooled him until he entered Broward College at 16, where he eventually earned a fancy piece of paper (an A.A. diploma).  He decided it would be more interesting folded into the shape of a piano than tucked away in a file cabinet, so he set about designing a pocket-sized origami Steinway concert grand.  This addition to his paper-folding repertoire came in handy when he attended the 2008 Brevard Summer Music Festival, where vacant practice rooms were scarce. 

Like the models in his origami repertoire, the music in his piano repertoire has done him well. His awards include the National Chopin Foundation's annual scholarship (2006), 1st place in the MTNA Florida State competition and the equivalent of 3rd in the Southern Division (2007-8). In 2009 he gave four performanaces of Mendelssohn's g-minor concerto under conductors Barry Volkman, Carlos Riazuelo, and Laura Joella, and this year he was accepted into the summer piano program at Chautauqua.

He currently studies with Judith Burganger at FAU (he formerly studied with Sheri Garlock. There, he will earn another piece of paper (a B.A. in piano performance), which he hopes will be bigger than the last one so he can up-grade his 2-inch Steinway to a 3-incher. When he is not playing the piano (or folding paper), he probably should be doing his homework but often ends up exploring the Everglades, caring for his orchids, or reading poetry.