When most people think of Alex Dardarian, they picture a track athlete or a proud Armenian. He’s a two-time All-Inter-Ac honoree for cross country who has run the second-fastest 5K time in school history. He is a member of the Armenian Youth Federation and runs the school’s Armenian Heritage Club. Few know, however, that Dardarian is a classical guitarist, a skill he has quietly honed over the years and is just now beginning to speak about more openly with others.
Dardarian had his first guitar lesson at the age of seven. At the time, he found the guitar unenjoyable, eventually quitting at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, it was during that year-long break that he discovered that he truly loved the instrument. “I realized that I missed playing the guitar and wanted to take it more seriously,” Dardarian recalled. When he returned to playing, he sought out a new teacher, Behdad Moghaddasi.
“I’d argue guitar is one of the hardest instruments to master.”
Alex Dardarian ’25
Dardarian picked up the classical guitar—a different and less common style of guitar. It is a much more technical version of playing than strumming. It requires longer fingernails to pluck the strings, a necessity he is self-conscious about. “I get embarrassed and end up cutting my nails, which honestly hurts my playing,” he admitted. “My teacher has started lessons talking about the length of my fingernails.”
Classical guitar requires precision, strong hands, and dedication. “Guitar is actually a pretty big burden on your hand. Also, it gets tiring when plucking and moving so quickly, and restringing classical guitars is much more painful compared to restringing other types of guitars,” said Dardarian. “I’d argue guitar is one of the hardest instruments to master.”
He has developed his own practice methods, such as working on pieces backward.
Classical guitar is a core part of Dardarian’s life. He practices three hours minimum per week. Dardarian even brought his guitar to practice at an Armenian summer camp, despite the challenges that came with it. When he was in Third Form, he performed classical guitar at the Lincoln Center in New York. In his Fifth Form year, he returned to New York once again to perform a duet. Yet, despite his activity and achievements, Dardarian rarely spoke about classical guitar with his peers.
“I’m learning that classical guitar is not that weird—it’s actually really cool. It’s a talent, and I shouldn’t hide it.”
Alex Dardarian ’25
“Cross Country Coach Brian Long was shocked when I told him that I played classical guitar earlier this season,” said Dardarian. “I realized I never really told people about it.”
Dardarian’s friends still joke about how he played guitar at the talent show in sixth grade and got teased for it, but he’s come to ignore them. Recently, he has started sharing this side of himself more openly, even talking about it in Ms. Emily Harnett’s English III class last year.
“I’m learning that classical guitar is not that weird—it’s actually really cool,” he said. “It’s a talent, and I shouldn’t hide it.”
For Dardarian, the classical guitar is a versatile art form that shows off the guitar’s complexity, something that’s often lost in more popular styles like acoustic and electric guitar. “Most people don’t understand the intricacies of classical guitar,” he said. “There are so many things you can do on a guitar other than strumming, and classical guitar explores that.”
This spring, Dardarian has a chance to perform at Carnegie Hall, one of the most famous performance halls in the world. He also plans to finally participate in the school’s talent show this year, something he’s always wanted to do but was too nervous to attempt because of his sixth-grade performance. “I’ve kept saying I’ll do it senior year,” he said. “I know I’m good at classical guitar now.”
Dardarian promotes learning an instrument to others. “If you want to play an instrument, just do it. It might be tough at first, but slowly, a passion will develop,” he said. “In thirty years, people will know you by your occupation, but having something else that sets you apart is important.”
