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Classical performances in New York highlight Armenian talents
by Lucy Ishkanian
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2013-05-25-classical-performances-in-new-york-highlight-armenian-talents
Published: Saturday May 25, 2013
Armenian clergy and community members with performers Narine Ojakhyan,
Nune Melikian, Karen Hakobian, and composer Konstantin Petrossian.
NEW YORK - The spectacular "Musical Armenia" concert that took place
in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on April 19, sponsored by the
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Prelacy Ladies Guild,
thrilled and mesmerized the capacity audience and once again
reaffirmed the high standards and caliber of the exciting talented
artists presented by the "Musical Armenia" concert series.
This long-established annual concert series was conceived with the
purpose of introducing and supporting exceptional young Armenian
musicians already on the threshold of a professional career. Founded
by Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian thirty years ago, this jubilee
anniversary concert was dedicated to His Eminence's cherished memory.
The new artists being presented at this concert were soprano Narine
Ojakhyan and violinist Nune Melikian, with the musical collaboration
of pianist Karén Hakobian.
Opening the program, soprano Narine Ojakhyan immediately impressed the
audience with her powerful voice and dignified stage presence,
conveying total musical authority and confidence. The demanding
program, superbly sung, included rarely heard works by present-day
Armenian composers, Edward Abrahamian and Geghuni Chitchian; operatic
arias and lyrical songs by Sergei Rachmaninov, Leo Delibes, Armen
Tigranian, (long neglected poignant, beautiful aria, "Assoom en oorin"
sung by Anoush, from the opera, "Anoush"), Komitas Vartabed, Aram
Khachaturian, Franz Lehar and Charles Gounod. Narine graciously
offered a special encore by composer Konstantin Petrossian.
Miss Ojakhyan has great projection of sound, possesses a strong,
dramatic, vibrant voice, with an unusual diapason (vocal range). Her
amazing vocal technique and breath control was able to dispel without
any difficulty the seemingly impossible vocal demands, securely
conquering the vocal leaps and highest soprano notes. Together with
her expressive, emotional intensity and professionalism, she
electrified and thrilled the awe-inspired audience.
It is most unusual to have the pleasure of hearing two equally
talented, attractive, exciting artists on the same program.
Violinist Nune Melikian also performed a very difficult and demanding
program. The attentive audience was transfixed by her spectacular
technical mastery and sensitive musicality. Her program began with the
lyrical, introspective "Adagio" from Alessandro Marcello's Oboe
Concerto, arranged for violin by Albert Markov. This contemplative,
serene atmosphere was contrasted by the intense, dramatic "Sonata" for
violin and piano by Arno Babadjanian, which he had dedicated to
composer Dmitri Shostakovich. The occasional reminiscences of Armenian
melodies underlying the modern harmonic sequences and architectural
compositional form, unique to Arno Babadjanian's style and sound, had
been thoroughly absorbed and understood by the young artists.
The superb musical partnership of Nune Melikian and Karén Hakobian
with their deep, intelligent musicality and exceptional technical
prowess thrilled the audience with an exciting, brilliantly splendid
unforgettable performance.
The year 2013, being the "Festival Jubilee Year," celebrating the
110th birthday anniversary of composer Aram Khachaturian, it was most
meaningful and gratifying that both artists has included compositions
of different genres representing Aram Khachaturian's multifaceted
genius.
The New York premiere performed by Narine Ojakhyan of the beautiful
and tempestuous aria, "Nina's Romance," was written for the film score
of the dramatic tragedy, "Masquerade", by Lermontov. With the
foreboding atmosphere of tragic doom awaiting Nina in the Waltz scene,
it was an especially moving performance.
The lyrical "Song-Poem" for violin and piano, inspired by the melodies
and improvisational folk-art style of the ashugh's (Armenian
troubadours) was performed by Nune Melikian with meaningful, poetic
expression.
The final major work performed by Nune Melikian, was the "Spartacus
Rhapsody," composed by Albert Markov, the distinguished Russian
violinist-composer-pedagogue. Inspired and based on the beautiful,
lyric melodies of Aram Khachaturian, one of the most important
composers of the 20th century.
The masterfully composed powerful "Rhapsodic Variations", combining
intensely exciting technical demands with highly dramatic emotional
episodes, was the perfect choice to reveal the unique talent and
marvelous amazing virtuosity of Nune Melikian. The exceptionally
emotional interpretation of Komitas Vartabed's folk song "Kroonk,"
arranged for violin and piano, gave a moving closure to the concert.
Nune's spectacular performance was enhanced by the equally spectacular
solid collaboration of pianist Karén Hakobian.
At the conclusion of the concert, the highly exhilarated, appreciative
capacity-full audience lauded the artists as they returned to the
stage for their final group bow, with a rousing, cheering, prolonged
standing ovation.
We are eagerly anticipating the "Musical Armenia" concert scheduled to
take place March 28, 2014.
by Lucy Ishkanian
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2013-05-25-classical-performances-in-new-york-highlight-armenian-talents
Published: Saturday May 25, 2013
Armenian clergy and community members with performers Narine Ojakhyan,
Nune Melikian, Karen Hakobian, and composer Konstantin Petrossian.
NEW YORK - The spectacular "Musical Armenia" concert that took place
in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on April 19, sponsored by the
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Prelacy Ladies Guild,
thrilled and mesmerized the capacity audience and once again
reaffirmed the high standards and caliber of the exciting talented
artists presented by the "Musical Armenia" concert series.
This long-established annual concert series was conceived with the
purpose of introducing and supporting exceptional young Armenian
musicians already on the threshold of a professional career. Founded
by Archbishop Mesrob Ashjian thirty years ago, this jubilee
anniversary concert was dedicated to His Eminence's cherished memory.
The new artists being presented at this concert were soprano Narine
Ojakhyan and violinist Nune Melikian, with the musical collaboration
of pianist Karén Hakobian.
Opening the program, soprano Narine Ojakhyan immediately impressed the
audience with her powerful voice and dignified stage presence,
conveying total musical authority and confidence. The demanding
program, superbly sung, included rarely heard works by present-day
Armenian composers, Edward Abrahamian and Geghuni Chitchian; operatic
arias and lyrical songs by Sergei Rachmaninov, Leo Delibes, Armen
Tigranian, (long neglected poignant, beautiful aria, "Assoom en oorin"
sung by Anoush, from the opera, "Anoush"), Komitas Vartabed, Aram
Khachaturian, Franz Lehar and Charles Gounod. Narine graciously
offered a special encore by composer Konstantin Petrossian.
Miss Ojakhyan has great projection of sound, possesses a strong,
dramatic, vibrant voice, with an unusual diapason (vocal range). Her
amazing vocal technique and breath control was able to dispel without
any difficulty the seemingly impossible vocal demands, securely
conquering the vocal leaps and highest soprano notes. Together with
her expressive, emotional intensity and professionalism, she
electrified and thrilled the awe-inspired audience.
It is most unusual to have the pleasure of hearing two equally
talented, attractive, exciting artists on the same program.
Violinist Nune Melikian also performed a very difficult and demanding
program. The attentive audience was transfixed by her spectacular
technical mastery and sensitive musicality. Her program began with the
lyrical, introspective "Adagio" from Alessandro Marcello's Oboe
Concerto, arranged for violin by Albert Markov. This contemplative,
serene atmosphere was contrasted by the intense, dramatic "Sonata" for
violin and piano by Arno Babadjanian, which he had dedicated to
composer Dmitri Shostakovich. The occasional reminiscences of Armenian
melodies underlying the modern harmonic sequences and architectural
compositional form, unique to Arno Babadjanian's style and sound, had
been thoroughly absorbed and understood by the young artists.
The superb musical partnership of Nune Melikian and Karén Hakobian
with their deep, intelligent musicality and exceptional technical
prowess thrilled the audience with an exciting, brilliantly splendid
unforgettable performance.
The year 2013, being the "Festival Jubilee Year," celebrating the
110th birthday anniversary of composer Aram Khachaturian, it was most
meaningful and gratifying that both artists has included compositions
of different genres representing Aram Khachaturian's multifaceted
genius.
The New York premiere performed by Narine Ojakhyan of the beautiful
and tempestuous aria, "Nina's Romance," was written for the film score
of the dramatic tragedy, "Masquerade", by Lermontov. With the
foreboding atmosphere of tragic doom awaiting Nina in the Waltz scene,
it was an especially moving performance.
The lyrical "Song-Poem" for violin and piano, inspired by the melodies
and improvisational folk-art style of the ashugh's (Armenian
troubadours) was performed by Nune Melikian with meaningful, poetic
expression.
The final major work performed by Nune Melikian, was the "Spartacus
Rhapsody," composed by Albert Markov, the distinguished Russian
violinist-composer-pedagogue. Inspired and based on the beautiful,
lyric melodies of Aram Khachaturian, one of the most important
composers of the 20th century.
The masterfully composed powerful "Rhapsodic Variations", combining
intensely exciting technical demands with highly dramatic emotional
episodes, was the perfect choice to reveal the unique talent and
marvelous amazing virtuosity of Nune Melikian. The exceptionally
emotional interpretation of Komitas Vartabed's folk song "Kroonk,"
arranged for violin and piano, gave a moving closure to the concert.
Nune's spectacular performance was enhanced by the equally spectacular
solid collaboration of pianist Karén Hakobian.
At the conclusion of the concert, the highly exhilarated, appreciative
capacity-full audience lauded the artists as they returned to the
stage for their final group bow, with a rousing, cheering, prolonged
standing ovation.
We are eagerly anticipating the "Musical Armenia" concert scheduled to
take place March 28, 2014.