2023 First Decade Award

Rizwan Rayaz Jagani is an American violist of Indian/Pakistani heritage with an eclectic career ranging from orchestral to solo performance. He also works as an arranger, orchestrator, producer, and educator. 

His career highlights include performing at the Classical Music Festival-Eisenstadt for five summers and as the inaugural violist of the Generations String Quartet. He has performed at the Kennedy Center, on Broadway, and for a New Year’s event in Washington, D.C. 

Rizwan reimagines the idea of what the viola can do by combining his formal training in Western Classical performance with other musical genres such as Bollywood, Musical Theatre, Pop, Rock, and more. 

He is an advocate for arts education and the pursuit of arts careers by South Asian people. He has lectured and performed at the Liaqat National Hospital and Medical College and at Aga Kahn University—both in Pakistan. His presentation focuses on redefining cultural and professional norms from the lens of a South Asian American musician of the Western Classical field. 

Rizwan is based in Maryland and is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Catholic University of America. Rizwan was presented with the First Decade Award, given to an outstanding young alumnus/alumna who exemplifies the qualities of scholarship and service in their lives and work within 10 years of graduating from Austin College.