US Fed News
February 27, 2015 Friday 10:55 PM EST
LEBANESE PIANIST TO PERFORM ARMENIAN CLASSICS
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., Feb. 27 — The University of Arkansas issued the
following news release:
Award-winning Lebanese maestro Annie Balabanian will perform a solo
piano recital featuring works by Armenian composers 8 p.m. on Friday,
Feb. 27th in Giffels Auditorium. Balabanian will also present a
lecture titled “West Meets East: Classical Music and Culture in
Lebanon” Monday, March 2 at 12:30 p.m. in Old Main Room 421. Both
events are free and open to the public.
Acclaimed for her passionate performances, beautiful sound, wide
palette of tonal colors, and deep lyricism, Balabanian is a pianist
with a growing career as a soloist and chamber musician. Praised by
the “Agenda Culturel” for demonstrating the “exciting temperament of a
magnificent concert pianist,” Balabanian has captured numerous prizes
and awards, including first prize at the Margot Babikian Chamber Music
Competition (Beirut 2010) and second prize at the Schubert Piano
Competition (Beirut 1997), and has participated in international music
festivals and workshops.
Born in Beirut, Balabanian began piano studies at the age of 5. As a
recipient of a full summer scholarship from the Playing for Peace
Festival (New Hampshire, 2001), and a partial scholarship from the
International Keyboard Institute and Festival (New York, 2006),
Balabanian has participated in several international music festivals
and workshops such as the International Piano Academy (Freiburg 2014)
and the Euro Arts Music Festival (Leipzig 2009), and has also studied
with world famous pianists and pedagogues. Balabanian performs
frequently with chamber groups and currently teaches piano at the
National Higher Conservatory of Music in Beirut, Lebanon.
Her concert, sponsored by the Fulbright College Piano Performance
Program in partnership with the King Fahd Center for Middle East
Studies, will include works by Aram Khachaturian, Boghos Gelalian,
Edvard Mirzoyan and other notable Armenian composers who adapted local
and regional folk tunes and melodies into Western classical
composition.
For concert information, please contact Jura Margulis, McAllister
professor of piano, at 479-575-4178 or [email protected] For lecture
information, contact the King Fahd Center at 479-575-2175.