About
Mark Irchai (b. 1996), is an American concert pianist and conductor, hailed as a “virtuoso... who perform[s] with gorgeous balance” (Wednesday Music Club). Recently featured on broadcasts for WQXR (NYC Public Radio) and KPBX (Spokane Public Radio), his concertizing has taken him across the United States and Europe, where he has become known for his diverse musical programming and multi-colored sound. His awards include 1st prizes at the XIV International Orfeo Music Competition, the George Mason University Concerto Competition, and the Golden Classical Awards International Music Competition. He was also awarded the Newton Swift Award in Collaborative Piano by the Mannes School of Music, in recognition of his accomplishments as a collaborative pianist.
As a notable up-and-coming pianist, Irchai performs in recital to regularly sold-out audiences in venues such as Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, Dumbarton Oaks, the embassies of Turkey and Austria to the United States, and many others. Additionally, Irchai has been presented on numerous concert series, such as the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic’s Lyceum Concerts, the Ocala Symphony Orchestra’s SoundArt series, and George Mason University’s Grand Piano Celebration. Irchai has collaborated with prominent artists such as John Aler, Marlisa Woods, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Kerry Wilkerson, Danielle Talamantes, Jamie Reimer, and Janet Hopkins. He performs regularly with duo partner Amanda Zoe Vest, mezzo-soprano, and with the Continuum Chamber Collective (CCC).
As a conductor, Irchai frequently collaborates with orchestral and choral musicians of the highest caliber. He has led in performance musicians from the National Philharmonic, the National Symphony, the US Army Orchestra, the US Army Chorus, the Singing Sergeants, the Peabody Institute, and other high-profile institutions of music. He has also worked as an assistant conductor for a number of ensembles, including the George Mason University Singers, Chorale, and Mason Opera. His assistant conductor position with the Mason Symphony Orchestra in the 2018-19 season led him to a performance with soloist Eddie Adams, which was later featured on CBS News and Reuters. In the 2023-24 season, Irchai was a finalist for the position of Music Director of the Reston Community Orchestra. In the 2024-25 season, Irchai joins the staff of both the Reston Community Orchestra and The McLean Symphony as Cover Conductor. In the 2025-26 season, Irchai continues in his third year as Artistic/General Director of Loudoun Lyric Opera, the resident opera company of Loudoun County, VA.
A committed educator, Irchai is currently an adjunct professor at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, VA, and is on faculty at the Levine School of Music in Washington DC, and the Berkshire High Peaks Music Festival in Great Barrington, MA. He also teaches piano and conducting lessons both virtually and in-person from home in Falls Church, VA.
Irchai holds a BM in piano performance from George Mason University, where he studied piano and chamber music with Anna Balakerskaia and orchestral, choral, and band conducting with Dennis Layendecker, Stan Engebretson, Mark Camphouse, and Anthony Maiello. He has also studied piano at the International Orfeo Music Festival with Anna Balakerskaia, and at the Summit Music Festival with Efrem Briskin. Additionally, he studied orchestral conducting at the International Academy of Advanced Conducting after Ilya Musin with Oleg Proskurnya and Scott Woodard. He has appeared in masterclasses with artists such as George Li, Pavel Nersessian, Vadim Monastyrski, Awadagin Pratt, Faina Lushtak, Leon Schelhase, Claire Huangci, and Richard Goode. Most recently, he obtained an MM in Piano Performance from the Mannes School of Music, studying under the direction of Simone Dinnerstein, and chamber music with Rebecca Fischer, J.Y. Song, and Cristina Stanescu.