Arno Babadjanian: The Unsung Maestro of Soviet Armenia

Please join us for a book talk and brief performance by Nuné Melikian, as she presents her new biography of Arno Babadjanian, who was born in 1921 in Yerevan and became one of the most notable musical figures of the Soviet time. Despite the constraints of composing within the Soviet musical landscape, Babadjanian's works are deeply infused with a distinctively Armenian spirit, making his compositions resonate with a unique cultural essence. Well-known in Russia and the former Soviet republics, Babadjanian's music remains relatively unknown in the Western world. This book marks the first comprehensive English-language study of this remarkable composer, aiming to introduce his genius to a broader audience.

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A violinist who has "proven the theory of self-actualization" (The Strings Magazine), Dr. Nuné Melikian is an emerging artist on the international stage who believes that music has no limitations. The only Armenian female violinist to have a Carnegie Hall’s Stern debut with a symphony orchestra, Dr. Melikian ia equally comfortable playing with Jimmy Buffett and for wounded soldiers in Armenian hospitals. Born in Siberia to a family of medical PhDs, at the age of 19, she immigrated by herself to Canada. In 2009, she became the youngest person to be accepted to a Master’s Degree at the University of Montreal. She performed at the United Nations Headquarters, Lincoln Center, and Walt Disney Hall and gave a few dozen performances all over the world.

Dr. Melikian is a winner of more than 18 awards. She is the founder of the Hidden Treasure Project (c) and co-founder of Hidden Treasure Music Festival (NYC).  A North American Representative of the Arno Babadjanian Foundation, she defended the first comprehensive dissertation about the composer at McGill University. She graduated from there with a Doctorate Degree in 2019. Following her passion for research, Dr. Melikian  published the first biography about Babadjanian in English.

Dr. Melikian is a professor at Yeshiva University, Kaufman Music Center and Special Music School in New York. She speaks 6 languages, lives in the Upper East Side, and enjoys a busy life as a performing artist and educator. She plays on a rare violin on a generous loan from Groupe Canimex.

Piano accompaniment will be provided by Mariam Abgarian, a San Francisco-based concert pianist, and laureate of numerous international competitions, including the Igumnov International Piano Competition, Virtuosi per Musica di Pianoforte (Czech Republic), and the Rubinstein Chamber Ensembles Competition. Mariam has collaborated with eminent pianists, including Nikolay Lugansky and Pavel Nersessian. A recipient of scholarships from the Armenian General Benevolent Union and MusicFest Perugia, she has toured extensively across Russia, Armenia, Italy, and beyond. Her performed at international festivals such as Malta International Music Festival,Denis Matsuev’s Crescendo Festival, the Brons Festival (Netherlands), Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio (Spain). Mariam studied at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory under professors Vera Gornostaeva and Sergey Dorensky. She later completed her postgraduate studies with Jon Nakamatsu at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

This event is part of the Armenian Studies Program at CREEES.