About Us

Dr. Amanda Wilton is currently playing with the Lafayette Symphony, teaching violin and viola lessons at the Greater Lafayette Academy of Music, and works with students in the John Martinson Honors College at Purdue University. Dr. Wilton holds degrees in Violin and Viola Performance from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, University of Maryland, University of Houston, and Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya as a Fulbright Researcher in Barcelona, Spain. Before coming to Lafayette, she taught at the University of North Alabama, Louisiana Tech University, University of Idaho, Creighton University, and Lone Star College-Tomball in Houston. She has performed regularly as a Principal and section Violist with the Omaha Symphony, Arkansas Symphony, Huntsville Symphony, as well as the Lincoln, Texarkana, Sioux City, Dubuque, Quad City, Jackson, Brazos Valley, Cedar Rapids, and Delta symphonies. She has performed in Spain, Switzerland, Germany, France, Poland, as well as many major cities in United States both as soloist and in chamber ensembles. Each summer she teaches viola and conducts orchestras at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in her home state of Michigan. When and why did you decide to make music your career? I knew I wanted to become a musician on the day I chose to go to a rehearsal with the local college symphony instead of playing a match with my high school tennis team. I knew I wasn’t the best tennis player or violinist at the time, but music was what I did best and something I knew I would enjoy doing forever.   Who was your most influential musical mentor and why? The Arianna String Quartet taught me how to bring the characters and emotions of music to life. They made us do silly things like singing our parts, dancing around, reciting poetry, standing on chairs, and acting—all things to help express the message of the composer. What advice do you have for young people considering the arts as a career? Be flexible and open to all facets of a career in music: orchestra, quartet, or solo, playing Baroque, jazz, or fiddle, teaching beginners, high school, or college; with a music degree you have the freedom to do a little of everything. Continue to learn new things.

Dr. Suren Petrosyan is currently on the faculty at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, plays cello with the Lafayette Symphony, and teaches cello at the Greater Lafayette Academy of Music. Dr. Petrosyan is also on faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan, where he teaches cello, conducts orchestras (including the International Youth Symphony in Europe), and serves as a Scholarship Representative in Indiana for Blue Lake. Prior to moving to Indiana, he served as Music Director and Conductor of the Shoals Symphony and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of North Alabama; served as Music Director and Conductor of the Mason Symphony in Michigan; he conducted orchestras and taught cello at Arkansas State University, Creighton University, and Alma College. Dr. Petrosyan has conducted concerts with symphony and chamber orchestras in Germany, France, Poland, Armenia, Canada, and the United States. As a cellist, he has played with Arkansas, Delta, Jackson, Texarkana, Lansing, Jackson, Alma, Midland, Sioux City, Carmel, Huntsville, and Omaha symphonies. Dr. Petrosyan holds degrees in Orchestral Conducting and Cello Performance from Michigan State University and Yerevan State Conservatory in his home country of Armenia. When and why did you decide to make music your career? I was 9 years old when they had a side-by-side performance at our school with a professional orchestra. It had a huge impact on me – the powerful orchestra, all the colors of different instruments. That day I knew that I wanted to become a musician. What was the funniest, most surprising, or most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you during a performance? Once we were filming a music video outside of an old monastery in Armenia. During the final scene after a long day of filming, as soon as they started the cameras, I saw a small lizard trying to climb up the endpin of my cello. Now if you watch the video, you’ll see everybody smiling and looking up at the camera except me, looking down at the lizard, with fear in my eyes. What advice do you have for young people considering the arts as a career? Work hard, be dedicated to whatever you do, be flexible and open to all different aspects that your profession can offer, sometimes very unexpected things can happen. Other fun facts? Appears as a cellist in the film “Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice”.