Ara Harutyunyan was born into a family of musicians in Yerevan, Armenia, where he started studying violin at the age of eight. Throughout his training, he’s won national and international youth competitions, participated in festivals and in masterclasses. He obtained his BA and MA from Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory and has also studied at the Zurich University of the Arts in Switzerland, with Professor Rudolf Koelman.

Ara has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in Russia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Switzerland, Lebanon, Syria, the United States and in his native country. In 2013, he was awarded the Dorothy Jacoby Student Soloist Competition in the University of Wyoming and was named National Finalist in the MTNA Young Artist String Competition, both in the United States.

From 2011 to 2013, he studied at the University of Wyoming with Professor John Fadial. During this period, was also a soloist, chamber musician and concertmaster of the Symphony of the same institution, where he has also taught violin in String Project. From 2008 to 2011, he was a member of the Yerevan String Quartet and, in 2009, he was a member of the First Violins in the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra. Prior to joining Minas Gerais Philharmonic, he served as assistant concertmaster of the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra in the 2013 season.