SEATTLE, Wash. — Armenian-American conductor Tigran Arakelyan has been appointed music director of the Northwest Mahler Festival. In addition, he received a bronze medal at the Global Music Awards and is a finalist for the American Prize in Orchestral Programming.
Founded in 1995, the Northwest Mahler Festival is a summer festival for professionals, students and community musicians performing large scale-works. On July 21, the Festival Orchestra will perform Mahler’s 5th Symphony, in Seattle.
Arakelyan recently received a bronze medal at the Global Music Awards for his work on the podcast “Off The Podium Music” (https://offthepodium.weebly.com/). The podcast has close to 70 episodes featuring artists of high caliber. In addition to his podcast, the other programs in the series featured David Harrington of the Kronos Quartet, Grammy Award-winning bassist Christian McBride and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker.
He was also named a finalist for the American Prize in Orchestral Programming with the Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestras. The American Prize — Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming — recognizes and rewards the best achievement in the unique field of orchestral programming, where the selection of repertoire by knowledgeable, creative and courageous music directors builds orchestras and audiences, educates young people and adults, and enriches the community.
Arakelyan is music director of the Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra, Federal Way Youth Symphony and Port Townsend Community Orchestra. For more information about him visit www.TigranArakelyan.com.
