Why can a piece written 200 years ago feel like it knows exactly what we’re going through? And what can music being written today tell us about the world we’re living in? Those are the kinds of questions that led us to create Ixia. We wanted to design concerts that bring audiences into the music with us—to hear the stories behind it, make connections to other art forms and ideas, and maybe even learn something about themselves along the way. We hope those experiences reach beyond the concert hall—inspiring curiosity, bringing people closer together, or sparking ideas that stay with you long after the music ends. A concert may only last an hour, but what comes from it doesn’t have to.
Armenian- American violinist Hoorig Taline Poochikian began playing the violin with her mother at the age of six. She has performed at a number of venues across North America including Carnegie’s Weill Hall, the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, Merkin Hall and the National Arts Center in Ottawa, Canada. She has also performed in Armenia, Egypt, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Hoorig completed her doctoral degree in violin performance at Stony Brook University, studying with Hagai Shaham, Arnaud Sussmann, Phil Setzer and Jennifer Frautschi. An avid chamber musician, Hoorig has studied and performed in masterclasses with many distinguished artists such as Arnold Steinhardt, Laurence Lesser, and Gil Kalish. She has also had the privilege of collaborating with members of the Emerson String Quartet, Avalon String Quartet, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, pianist Christina Dahl and composer Vache Sharafyan. Hoorig made her live radio broadcast debut on Classical KING FM in Seattle. She completed her Master of Music degree at the University of Ottawa on a full- tuition international arts scholarship, studying with Yehonatan Berick and her Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Maryland on a full-tuition creative and performing arts scholarship, studying with Dr. James Stern. With a deep passion for education, Hoorig teaches privately in the DC metro area, where she currently resides. Formerly a co-artistic director of Galatea Chamber Music, she has recently co-founded Ixia Chamber Music with cellist Emma Hays Johnson, and maintains an active career as a freelance chamber musician performing at various concert series across the country.
A native of Central Virginia, cellist Emma Hays Johnson is an active performer and educator based in the Washington, D.C. area. She is the Founding Cellist of Ixia Chamber Music, which launches its inaugural season in 2026–2027, and is also the co-founder of Empath Concerts, a series that fosters open dialogue about social and cultural issues through music. Emma previously served as Co-Artistic Director of Galatea Chamber Music.Emma performs regularly with chamber series and orchestras including Washington Musica Viva, SoloX, the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the Apollo Orchestra, the New Orchestra of Washington, and the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, where she has also appeared as guest principal cellist, including performances of The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto featuring Melissa White. Her collaborations have included performances with Grammy Award-winning violinist Domenic Salerni, as well as artists including Michael Bublé, Il Divo, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.A dedicated educator, Emma serves as Director of Chamber Orchestra at The Madeira School and teaches at the Apex Arts Program at Broadneck High School as well as Holton-Arms School, in addition to maintaining a private cello studio in North Bethesda, Maryland.She holds a BM from George Mason University, an MM from East Carolina University, and a second MM from University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Chamber music invites us to slow down, notice more, and experience the power of sound in real time.
It brings together diverse voices, ideas, and perspectives on stage and in our community.
Through performance, education, and mentorship, chamber music builds curiosity, empathy, and lifelong appreciation.
Chair
Vice Chair
Treasurer
Secretary
Founding Violinist
Founding Cellist