Vache Sharafyan /composer/

By STEVE SMITH
Published: December 19, 2011
.... And all of the string players confidently handled unconventional intonation in Mr. Sharafyan’s “Adumbrations of the Peacock,” a stark, mysterious and ultimately majestic concatenation of broken-bell piano chords, tremulous melodies and quivering textures.

THE BOSTON GLOBE In season finale, BMOP charts the Armenian experience; by By Matthew Guerrieri Globe Correspondent / May 27, 2008
Vache Sharafyan's "Sinfonia No. 2 un poco concertante," a BMOP commission and world premiere, takes that essence as its starting point. Melodies erupt into dense, slow-shifting harmonic clouds; a repetitive figure builds into crashing waves of multitudinous, Ivesian dissonance. A solo duduk, the Armenian folk oboe (pre-recorded for this concert), spins periodic arabesques, the instrument's microtonal inflections transmuted in the orchestra. Sharafyan creates complex, deliberate, ultimately captivating grandeur - artistic director Gil Rose led a terrific, vivid performance.

Music review, The Silk Road Ensemble at Chicago Orchestra Hall
Wednesday, December 18, 2002, by John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune
..."But the most wonderful piece on the program was "The Sun, the Wine, and the Wind of Time" (1998) by the Armenian composer Vache Sharafyan. The score derived much of its ineffable sadness from the duduk, an oboe-like instrument whose quivery, throaty sounds were framed by piano (Joel Fan), violin (Colin Jacobsen) and cello (Yo-Yo Ma). The seamless evolution of moods and textures—from soft, somber lines made up of pained intervals, to more violent outbursts, back to mournful lines—made it entirely absorbing to the ear and mind..."
Music Review: New music group attains world-premiere nirvana
Monday, August 05, 2002 by David diAngelo, Pittsburgh Post Gazette

..."The evening's gem, though, was the Sharafyan. Without overtly referencing Vivaldi, this "Four Seasons" uses the calendar year as a metaphor for a circle of life. It began with "Summer" (with the performers bathed in harsh red lights) and cycled through death in "Winter" and rebirth in "Spring”....

Pittsburgh LiveBy Mark Kanny
TRIBUNE-REVIEW CLASSICAL MUSIC CRITIC
Monday, August 5, 2002
Vache Sharafyan’s "The Four Seasons" was the significant world premiere, including Armenian poetry as a prelude to each of the four movements… Sharafyan’s language includes remarkable solo writing for saxophone, brilliantly played by clarinetist Michael Norsworthy and flute, performed with notable sensuality by DiDonato. The composer is not afraid of dissonance, and the furious intensity he achieves serves clear narrative intent, including real satisfaction. "The Four Seasons" required extra performers, including the first Pittsburgh residents to play with the group this season: violist Paul Silver and bassist John Moore from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and percussionist P.J. Gatch.

Born on February 11, 1966 in Yerevan, Armenia. In 1990 graduated with distinction from the Yerevan State Conservatory, Composition Department. In 1992 received Post-Graduate education in composition, class of Prof. E. Mirzoyan. Prise-Winner, All-Union Composers’ Competition in Moscow (1985).

BMI Composer since 2002.

Among Sharafyan’s 2007 premiers is Viola Concerto “Surgite Gloriae” with duduk, discant, baritone, and orchestra (French horn, bell, strings) with Yuri Bashmet and ensemble "Moscow Soloists" (cond. R. Balashov) at Elba Isola Musicale Festival on September 4, as well as in Moscow Conservatory Grand Hall philharmonics seasson opening on September 19.

Among 2007 premiers are aslo "Quintetto quasi Concerto per pianoforte e archi" at Zipper Hall in Los Angeles chamber music series season opening (M. Pogossian, A. Baltayan, B. Dembow, P. Stumpf, V. Sharafyan) on September 15,

as well as "My Lofty Moon" for 5 eastern and 8 western instruments played by Atlas Ensmeble at Amsterdam Muziekgebouw on January 23 (cond. Ed Spanjaard),

as well as "arrangements & transcriptions by Komitas" played by NCOA and G. Dabaghayn at Thearte du Chatelet in Paris (cond. A. Gharabekian) .

As an official composer for the renowned Silk Road Project since 2001, Sharafyan's compositions ”The Sun, the Wine and the Wind of Time” and “The Morning Scent of the Acacia’s Song” were performed by cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble in Cologne Philharmonie, Brussels Philharmonie, Amsterdam’s Concertgebow, in USA: Carnegie (Stern ) Hall, Carnegie (Zankel) Hall, Berkeley University, Stanford University, Seattle/ Benaroya Hall/, Washington National Mall, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hall, in Italy: Rome, Florence, Milan., and other venues in USA and Europe.

Among 2008 premiers is "Sinfonia 2 un poco Concertante" with Boston Modern Orchestra Project, cond. Gil Rose on May 23 at Jordan Hall in Boston (Meet the Composer).

Among 2008 premiers is Cello Concerto with string orchestra with Suren Bagratuni and NCOA (cond. A.Gharabekian) at Komitas Chamber Music hall in Yerevan on May 31.

2008 projects included recording of “Lacrymosa” for solo cello, descant, soprano, mix choir and symphony orchestra for the movie “Maestro” (prod. Vigen Chaldranyan) with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra & “Hover” choir (cond. Edward Topchjan) on October 26.

Among 2009 world premieres is "Canticum Dolorosum et Pacificum" for soprano, mix choir and orchestra (trumpet, bass drum, piano, strings) with Artsvik Demurchyan, Hover choir, Serenade chamber orchestra, APO soloists cond. Eduard Topchjan on June 2 (Chamber Music Hall after Komitas).

2011 world premieres include "Have Mercy on me, O God" for tenor and string quartet commissioned by Soli Deo Gloria and "look lovingly mercyful Father" (Daniel Plaster, Varty Manuelian, Movses Pogossina, Guillaume Sutre, Gina Coletti, Vardan Gasparyan);
Vi-O-La n.2 with Maxim Novikov;
CON-COR-D-ANCE 2nd Violin Concerto and Burlesca with Karen Shakhgaldyan and Gubernatorial Orchestra of Irkutsk Philharmony, cond. Ilmar Lapinsh;
"Bridge Music" with Terem quartet and G. Dabaghyan;
"Snow Cantata" for mix choir, baritone and organ with Hover Chamber Choir...

Publishers: G. SCHIRMER, BIM-Editions

In 1992-96 as a Professor of music theory and sacred music Vache Sharafyan worked in Jerusalem Theological Armenian Seminary (Israel). Authored a Book of Chants for Holy Sepulchre Church, Jerusalem.

In 1998 participated in 19th Bowling Green Festival of New Music and Arts (USA); in 1999 "Prima vista" and "Two days and two nights" Festivals in Odessa (Ukraine); in 2002 June in Buffalo Festival and PNME festival in Pittsburgh with world premiere of the "Four Seasons" for narrator and 12 performers (PNME with participation of Pittsburgh Symphony principal musicians, cond. Kevin Noe); in 2003 June in Buffalo Festival; in 2004 Hungarian Radio Festival and 25th Bowling Green Festival of New Music and Arts (USA);

Among Sharafyan’s participated festivals in 2005-2007 are: in January 2005 Budapest Mini Festival; in March 2005 in Transcaucacian Festival of Modern Music in Georgia; Mansfield Symphony concert at Renaissance Theatre with premiering of Tenor Saxophone Concerto played by maestro James Houlik and cond. R. Franz, in July 2005 in Baroque festival in Yerevan; in September-October 2005 in MATA Festival in New York; In October 2005 in Festival “Perspectives XXI” in Armenia; in November 2005 in Festival Culturescapes in Switzerland; in February 2006 Icebreaker three: the Caucasus festival in Seattle (US); in March, 2006 in Contempo Music Series in Chicago; in March 2006 “Dilijan Chamber Music Concert Series” in Zipper Hall in Los Angeles; in May, 2006 in “Hommage a Bartok” concert series dedicated to Bartok’s 125^th anniversary in Budapest; in June 2006 in Caucasian Chamber Orchestra festival in Tbilisi, Georgia; June 2006 in Maverick Hall chamber music series in Woodstock, USA; in December 2006 in Estovest festival in Turin, Italy, in January 2007 in Atlas ensemble festival in Amsterdam Muziekgebouw ("world premiere of "My Lofty Moon" for 5 eastern and 8 western instruments with Atlas Ensemble, cond. Ed Spanjaard), in 2008 at Dilijan music series in Los Angeles, at Return festival in Yerevan, in 2009 at Homecoming festival in Moscow, PHAROS festival in Cyprus, National Gallery festival in Yerevan, Perspectives XXI festival.

Sharafyan’s compositions were performed in Armenia, Israel, France, USA, Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Holland, England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Lebanon, Thailand, Latvia, Spain, Hungary, Scotland, Cyprus, Taiwan, Mexico, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan and Iceland.

Nominated to "Civitella Ranieri Fellowship" in 2006, Italy.

Guest professor on Armenian music studies at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) for one semester in 2011.