GHAZARYAN AND HOVSEPIAN IN RETURN ENGAGEMENT
By Mary Lancaster
Nantucket Independent
4/other_news/027.html
March 5 2009
NY
Accomplished violinist Armen Ghazaryan describes Nantucket audiences as
"the warmest in the world," making it exciting for him to look forward
to a return performance on Sunday, March 8 when he will play at the
Coffin School with pianist Levon Hovsepian.
"There is something special about the island and the residents —
the way they accept and appreciate music," said Ghazaryan. "They are
the warmest audience in the world."
Ghazaryan has performed twice before on the island for the Nantucket
Arts Council, the sponsor of the upcoming classical duo program, which
will be the second time he has shared the stage with Hovsepian. The
two were part of last September’s Arts Festival Week offerings. While
both men currently live in Boston, Ghazaryan was a Nantucket resident
from 2006 to 2008 when he taught at the Nantucket School of Music.
At the March 8 concert, Hovsepian will perform alone for the first
half with Ghazaryan joining him for the second portion of the program.
"He is a fantastic pianist and he is such a joy and fun to work with
it’s unbelievable," said Ghazaryan, adding that as musicians, their
mission is to remove the weight of worldly concerns from their audience
and bring them the profound pleasure masterful performances provide.
The program will include a classical range from a Chopin nocturne to an
Argentinean tango during the first half, and pieces by Beethoven to the
island premiere of the contemporary "Introduction and Perpetual Motion"
composed by 89-year-old Edward Mirzoyan. Other featured composers
will be Astor Piazzolla, Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee, Donal Fox, Camille
Saint-Saens and Aram Khachaturian.
Ghazaryan was born in Yerevan, Armenia and earned his PhD from
Komitas State Conservatory. His studies have been with the People’s
Artist of Armenia, Victor Khachatyan and at the Moscow Tchaikovsky
Conservatory. He has performed with several major symphony orchestras,
played solo concerts in Europe and America and been awarded prizes
at international violin competitions.
Hovsepian’s studies began at the Sayat- Nova Music School in Yerevan,
Armenia and continued at the Tchaikovsky Special Music School for
Gifted Children. An honors graduate of the Komitas State Conservatory,
he received the high credential of Artist Diploma at Longy School of
Music in Cambridge, Mass. and a master’s degree with honors. His New
York debut was in 1994 and he has performed with orchestras and as
a soloist in Europe and the United States.
Tickets are $20 for NAC members and $25 for non-members and are
on sale at Bookworks, Mitchell’s and Dan’s Pharmacy. Students and
children are admitted at no cost. The concert is at 4 p.m. at the
Coffin School on Winter Street and tickets will be sold at the door.