Let's Talk Off The Podium – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

Guests: Anna S. Demerjian and Artyom Manukyan In this episode we talk about Zartonk Academy with Anna and Artyom. Anna is the Development Director of Zartonk Academy and Artyom is a cellist, composer, and rapper who will be teaching at the academy. This year, the Academy will be based in Artsakh with renowned artists and educators. Learn about Zartonk Academy and Donate here: https://www.atkenarmenianfoundation.c...

© Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2022

Joseph Bohigian is a composer and performer whose cross-cultural experience as an Armenian-American is a defining message in his music. His work explores the expression of exile, cultural reunification, and identity maintenance in diaspora. His music, described as “delightfully accessible and inventive” (SoundWordSight), has been heard around the world at the Oregon Bach Festival, June in Buffalo, Walt Disney Concert Hall, New Music on the Point Festival, TENOR Conference (Melbourne), and Aram Khachaturian Museum Hall. His recent piece Khazeri Yerazhshtutyun focuses on the gesturality of the ancient Armenian musical script called khaz and was written for the Festival Mixtur Composition and Sound Experimentation Workshop in Barcelona. He has also worked with performers including Mivos Quartet, Decibel New Music, Great Noise Ensemble, Argus Quartet, Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy, and members of Yarn/Wire. Currently, Bohigian is composing a work on the resettlement of Syrian-Armenians in the Republic of Armenia in collaboration with the Rerooted Archive.

In addition to composing, Bohigian performs as a percussionist, pianist, and laptop musician. He has premiered many new works and curated concerts of contemporary music for the Composer’s Voice Concert Series in New York, for which he was called a “triple-threat” by Time Out New York for his role as curator, composer, and performer. He founded the Fresno State New Music Ensemble and is a member of Ensemble Decipher, a group dedicated to the performance of live electronic music, with whom he has recently performed at the International Computer Music Conference, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, Society of Electro-Acoustic Music Conference, and Network Music Festival.

Having grown up in the large Armenian community of Fresno, California, the themes of displacement, dispersion, and reclamation in Armenian culture are important influences on his work. In 2012, he traveled to Yerevan, Armenia where he wrote his piece Dzirani Dzar, based on the folk song of the same name, while studying with composer Artur Avanesov. In 2015, he wrote In the Shadow of Ararat, a work commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ararat was premiered alongside other works by living Armenian composers and featured on NPR’s Here and Now and The California Report. He recently spent nine months in Armenia, where he composed The Water Has Found its Crack based on his archival research at the Komitas Museum-Institute and taught a laptop orchestra workshop at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan.

Bohigian is a graduate of Stony Brook University, where he held a Graduate Council Fellowship, and California State University Fresno. He has studied with Nirmali Fenn, Matthew Barnson, Margaret Schedel, Perry Goldstein, Dan Weymouth, Kenneth Froelich, and Benjamin Boone.

Ep. 135: Teni Odabashian, non-musical guest.

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

This is the first time in over 130 that I am featuring a guest who is not a musician. Teni has been one of the early supporters of the podcast and it was a pleasure to speak with her on the show. In this episode Teni talks about being a working mom, traveling, treasured possessions, Paul McCartney, Charles Aznavour, listening to music with her father, Armenian heritage, growing up in LA and much more.

© Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 134: THE RECAP with George Jackson, principal guest contributor.

This the second episode of the RECAP series with conductor George Jackson.

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

In this podcast we talk about the state of orchestras during the pandemic, positives and negatives of state sponsored orchestra, blind auditions, repertoire for chamber orchestra and more. We also talk about past composers we would have enjoyed corresponding with.

For more information about George Jackson please visit: http://www.georgejackson.net/

© Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 133: Abo Gumroyan, Grammy winning bassist.

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

Grammy Award-winning electric and double bassist Abe Gumroyan crosses musical borders on a daily basis. His diverse musical background has allowed him to perform a wide range of genres ranging from salsa and Latin jazz to traditional Armenian and ethnic fusion to classical. The son of Armenian immigrants, Abe was born in Los Angeles, CA and began double bass studies at the age of 9. A frequent guest with the San Francisco and San Diego Symphony Orchestras, Abe has had the unique opportunity to work with the world's leading conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Ricardo Muti, John Adams, and Charles Dutoit.

Aside from his work in the classical music industry, Abe is also an in-demand recording musician, most noted for his work in Latin and pop music. Abe recorded on the Grammy-winning freshman album from the San Francisco-based Latin big band Pacific Mambo Orchestra, garnering his first Grammy win at age 27. Abe's live credits include performances with Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Ricky Martin, Carrie Underwood, and many others. Whether as a sideman, soloist, or producer, Abe is known for his deep groove, creative and melodic solos, and mastery of different tones and techniques for any musical situation.

Abe graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Scott Pingel (Principal Bassist of the San Francisco Symphony), and attended the USC Thornton School of Music, studying with David Allen Moore (Bassist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic).

© Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Colorado-based conductor Jeremy D. Cuebas is quickly establishing himself as a symphonic, operatic, and contemporary musician in the Denver area. He acts as assistant conductor with the Fort Collins Symphony, will soon be starting as the first assistant conductor with the Aurora Symphony, and is regularly invited to lead ensembles as diverse as, Opera Fort Collins, the It Could Be Anything new music ensemble, and the Boulder Concert Band.

Jeremy is the founder and co-host of Podium Time, a podcast of interviews and discussions with emerging and established conductors. In August 2019, Jeremy was invited to join the faculty of the International Conducting Workshop and Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria to assist with the program and produce videos and podcasts for promotion. The Podium Time Podcast reaches thousands of conductors and students each year, and its catalog of over 80 interviews includes conductors such as JoAnn Falletta, Teddy Abrams, Brett Mitchell, Kevin Noe, Christopher Rountree, Tito Muñoz, and Roderick Cox.

Ep. 131: Harp and Plow, Americana duo.

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

Harp & Plow is a husband-and-wife Americana duo that combines a classically trained harpist and a blues-based guitarist, singer/songwriter. These talents create a unique, musical experience that explores American roots music with a modern approach.

DEBUT SINGLE “Pastures of Plenty” is now available on all digital platforms! https://song.link/x47C3PthKFv84

For more information about Harp and Plow please visit: https://www.harpandplow.com/

© Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Evan Meccarello was recently appointed Music Director of the Binghamton Community Orchestra. Meccarello is committed to new explorations in classical music and engaging with communities across the Northeast. Meccarello is committed to new explorations in classical music and engaging with communities across the Northeast.

Meccarello’s conducting experience spans professional, collegiate, youth, and civic ensembles. Based in Rochester, he is Founder and Director of the Hochstein Alumni Orchestra, a community of musicians that rally around the cause of affordable music lessons. Over ten years, he has commissioned five alumni of Hochstein to write orchestral works for the ensemble. Meccarello currently conducts the Thames Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra in New London, CT and the Irondequoit Community Orchestra.

Summer 2019 included performances with professional orchestras in Bulgaria, while the 2019-20 season has featured work with civic and university orchestras from Buffalo to Saranac Lake to Providence, RI. Meccarello serves as guest conductor and clinician at middle and high schools, including NYSSMA Area All State and All-County festival orchestras. He previously was Conductor of the Nazareth College Chamber Orchestra and continues to support the program as Assistant Conductor of the Nazareth College Symphony Orchestra.

Meccarello’s training in conducting has included lessons and masterclasses with worldacclaimed conducting teachers, including Larry Rachleff, Benjamin Zander, David Effron, and Jorma Panula. He holds a masters degree in orchestral conducting from Bowling Green State University and a violin performance degree from Nazareth College, where he was a two-time winner of the school’s concerto competition. Meccarello is Vice President of the Keuka Lake Music Festival and a radio host for Soundspace on WAYO-LP in Rochester. He can sometimes be found in Argentine tango clubs, playing violin for dancers.

Acclaimed for her ‘sterling tone’ in the New York Times, Kris Kwapis appears regularly as soloist and principal trumpet with period-instrument ensembles across North America, including Portland Baroque Orchestra, Early Music Vancouver, Pacific MusicWorks, Bach Collegium San Diego, Staunton Music Festival, Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, Chicago’s Haymarket Opera Company, Tafelmusik, Bach Society of Minnesota, Oregon Bach Festival, Callipygian Players, Bourbon Baroque, and Lyra Baroque, making music with directors such as Andrew Parrott, Monica Huggett, Alexander Weimann, Barthold Kuijken, Matthew Halls, Jacques Ogg, and Masaaki Suzuki. Her playing is heard on Kleos, Naxos, ReZound, Lyrichord, Musica Omnia and Dorian labels, including the 2013 GRAMMY nominated recording of Handel’s Israel in Egypt, and broadcast on CBC, WNYC, WQED (Pittsburgh), Portland All-Classical (KQAC), Sunday Baroque and Wisconsin Public Radio.

A student of Armando Ghitalla on modern trumpet, with a BM and MM in trumpet performance from the University of Michigan, Dr. Kwapis holds a DMA in historical performance from Long Island’s Stony Brook University. She often lectures on historical brass performance practice with appearances at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, University of Wyoming, University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of Louisville, Madison Early Music Festival, Pacific Lutheran University, Seattle Recorder Society, and Rutgers University, in addition to writing program notes and delivering pre-concert lectures. On modern trumpet, Kris was adjunct professor of trumpet at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY from 2000-2010 and taught as a sabbatical replacement at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA for the fall semester of 2019.

Dr. Kwapis enjoys sharing her passion with the next generation of performers as a faculty member at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music Historical Performance Institute (baroque trumpet and cornetto) since 2010 in addition to teaching at her home in Seattle and online. When not making music, Kris explores the visual art medium of encaustic painting, cooking and gardening.

Ep. 128: Brian Kai Chin, musician, educator, and cultural entrepreneur.

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

Brian Kai Chin is a musician, educator, and cultural entrepreneur. Trained in western classical, jazz, and world traditions, Brian’s musical focus is only part of his larger vision as the founder and Executive Director of Common Tone Arts and the Chair of the Music Department at Seattle Pacific University.

With a wide array of musical activity, Brian moves seamlessly between soloing as a trumpeter, freelancing for world-class orchestras, composing new music, performing with the contemporary chamber ensemble TORCH, and producing socially conscious, multi-arts events.

Brian is focused on using music and imagination as a universal language to bring people together and celebrate our shared humanity. Much of this vision is imbedded in his work via Common Tone Arts, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to inspiring positive change for our diverse world through arts education and music.

As the Chair of the Music Department at Seattle Pacific University, Dr. Chin has recently led an innovative 21st- Century curriculum redesign. This vision focuses on encouraging students to become cultural leaders by nurturing complete musicianship and engaging in socially conscious art.

For more information about Brian Kai Chin please visit: https://www.briankaichin.com/

© Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020