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Armen Babakhanian
Born in Yerevan, Anmenia, Anmen Babakhanian, studied at the Tchaikovsky Music School in Yerevan for twelve years before attending the Yrevan State Conservatory studying under Professor Anahit Bogdanian. A prize-winner of several of the world's prestigious international piano competitions including the Leeds (Third Prize), the Van Cliburn (Third Prize), the Guardian Dublin (Second Prize), the William Kappell (Second Prize), the Gina Bachauer (Second Prize) and most recently the World Piano Competition (First Prize), Annen Babakhanian has captured the imagination of audience and critics alike through the intensity and honesty of his performance. He has given recitals and concerts in the U.S.A, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Ireland. |
| He has performed with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Irish National Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra of USA under Mstislav Rostropovich, Israel Philharmonic and the Moscow Philharmonic under Valery Gergiev. Anmen has played recitals in major North American venues including Carnegie Hall in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Jordan Hall in Boston, Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena and Palace des Arts in Montreal. In 1996 Shostakovich's Piano Quintet performed with Armen and the Takacs Quartet during the Santander Festival in Spain was named the best chamber performance. He also played at the Aspen, Interlochen and Baalbec Festivals. During 1999 Armen toured Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and France, which was organized by Kawai Europe Concerts. Armen is recording for ASV, NAB and Red Sound labels. In October 1999 he made the world premiere recording of Stephan Elmas Third Piano Concerto. He has broadcast live on BBC (U.K.), PBC (USA) ORF (Austria) and RAI (Italy). In 1999 Armen Babakhanian organized and was Artistic Director of Armanian Legacy, the Young Talents National Piano Competition. He is also the moving spirit behind the establishment of the Yerevan International Piano Competition which will be held in September of 2001. Armen has very considerable teaching experience. During his residence in the USA he has been invited as a Visiting Professor to Indiana University. He is also Artist- in Residence at Yerevan State Conservatory. Mr. Babakhanian has given numerous master classes in Russia, United Kingdom, France, Spain and the USA. | |
PRESS COMMENT Armen Babakhanian was pure and simple - the overwhelming talent of the
Ninth Cliburn. Every time he played, he demonstrated that he had something
important to say and the technique with which to say it. His performances
had a way of sweeping previous interpretations out of one's mind...
Mr. Babakhanian's great strength is the phenomenally rich and
substantial sound he draws from the piano. Imagination and phenomenal pianistic know-how... he played
Moussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition so colorfully and subtly nuanced
that one would think Ravel need not have orchestrated this Composition
...He is a player of strong character. His energy is vibrant, his tone
colour individual and he has a fondness for decisively delivered personal
interpretative gestures... For 25-year old pianist Armen Babakhanian, yesterday's recital was a
popular triumph-classical, romantic, and modern-era compositions woven
into a performance that jolted the audience to its feet. It was the most
passionate response so far. Babakhanian's was a measured approach and he was rewardingly sensitive
in his interplay with the many orchestral solos in this, the less
flamboyant of Liszt's concertos. The feeling of rapport between orchestra
and soloist was strong and constituted one of the major pleasures of this
performance. Mr. Babakhanian is one of the finest pianists I have ever heard in the
past 40 years | |
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