Born in Yerevan, Alexander Grigoryevich Arutiunian studied piano and composition at his hometown Conservatory, graduating on the eve of World War II. In 1946, he moved to Moscow to study composition with Litinsky and in 1949 received the Stalin Prize for a cantata. Returning to Yerevan in 1954, he taught at the Conservatory and became artistic director of the Armenian State Philharmonic. Considered by Aram Khachaturyan as a promising Soviet composer, Arutiunian achieved widespread acclaim thanks to a body of work that emphasized the Armenian musical tradition, which also influenced the melodies of his 1950 Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra. The work had initially been conceived in 1943 for Zsolak Vartasarian, principal trumpet of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, who died during the war. The Concerto was then premiered by Aykaz Messlayan, while Timofei Dokschitzer promoted its international fame by introducing it to the United States. Having become a permanent fixture in the repertoire, the piece has also become a recurring audition piece at the Juilliard School.

Alexander Grigoryevich Arutiunian

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8 - 9 Jan, 2027

Prospettive Sonore · Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana

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