Juno award-winning and Grammy-nominated Canadian pianist and composer Serouj Kradjian is the artistic director of the Amici Chamber Ensemble and has appeared as soloist with the Vancouver, Edmonton, Madrid and Göttingen Symphonies, the Russian National Orchestra and the Armenian Philharmonic.
1. What are we interrupting (i.e. what music-related activity are we taking you away from to write this)?
Right now (Thursday, May 23), the new recital program I’m preparing, which is made up of piano transcriptions. Now working on J.S. Bach’s Chaconne as transcribed by Johannes Brahms for left hand only, so technically I can use my right hand to type this, while practising.
2. What, if anything, are you most looking forward to as an audience member between now and September 7?
I am looking forward to seeing and hearing my wife Isabel Bayrakdarian perform my new work Trobairitz Ysabella (inspired by medieval woman troubadours) with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Anne Manson, on July 9 at the Music and Beyond Festival in Ottawa.
3. How about as a music maker/player?
A recital on June 15 in Lindsay, Ontario where I will play Levante by Osvaldo Golijov, which is the last track of Amici Ensemble’s ATMA-produced CD Levant, awarded the Juno for Best Classical Album of the Year (2013).
4. What are you already preparing for musically beyond the summer? And (how) do your summer plans tie in with these longer term plans?
Looking forward to Amici’s exciting 26th season, composing my first movie score for a feature length Suspense/Drama, starting work on a new commission from the Fresno Philharmonic, and of course preparing my new piano recital program. This summer will be a lesson in multi-tasking, especially when I add to the above mix the pleasures of keeping up with our very active five-year old son and our beautiful six-month old daughter.
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