Piano Recital with Hayk Melikyan

In works by Stockhausen, Cowell, Akshelyan, Fénelon, Górecki, Jarell, Feldman, Kurtág, Simaku and Barber

“I am very grateful to Hayk Melikyan that he took the risk of creating that piece...” György Kurtág

Hayk Melikyan is recognized internationally as one of the most versatile and imaginative performers of the 20th Century and Contemporary Music and among today's most engaging virtuoso pianists by classical music audiences and critics. His international concert début took place at the “Concerto di Concerti” International Festival of the 20th Century Music in Rome in 2000. He leads an active concert life, playing throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas.

After having won the Second Prize in the International Piano Competition of the 20th Century and Contemporary Music “Premio Valentino Bucchi” in Rome in 2000 he included the contemporary music as the leading part of his concert programmes. He is a laureate of many other competitions, such as “Yvar Mikhashoff Trust for New Music" (Buffalo, USA, 2012), the “Samson Francois” and “André Boucourechliev” Prizes at the Orléans International Piano Competition (France, 2008, 2012), First Prize at Lazar Saryan Composers Competition (Yerevan, Armenia, 2008), and Special Prize at “Ibla Grand Prize” Piano Competition (Ragusa, Italy, 1999). Hayk Melikyan was awarded a Gold Medal by Moscow Composers Union for his contribution and promotion of the World Contemporary Music in 2012. In 2013, Hayk Melikyan was awarded the Title of an Honorary Artist of the Republic of Armenia.

He is the first performer of numerous works by many composers of our time and dozens of pieces were specially composed for him. This activity led Melikyan to the idea of initiating, in 2009, the Concert Series “1900+” consisting of 20th Century and Contemporary World Piano Music. Several solo albums by Hayk Melikyan have been released since 2007, targeting the 20th Century and Contemporary Music. His piano transcriptions, concert paraphrases and arrangements are among the favorite ones in the repertoires of many pianists worldwide. Hayk Melikyan has earned a reputation as one of the most creative improvisators by world audience, which adds an unusual value to his recitals.

PROGRAMME:
Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007): Klavierstuck IX, No.4 (1960)
Henry Cowell (1897-1965): "The Tides of Manaunaun" (1917)
"The Snows of Fuji-Yama" (1924)
Artur Akshelyan (b. 1984): Asana (2012)
Philippe Fénelon (b. 1952): Melody of Spring 1947 (1984)
Henryk Górecki (1933-2010): Sonata for Piano No.1, Op.6 (1956/90)
-- Interval --
Michael Jarell (b. 1958): Stille (2006)
Morton Feldman (1926-1987): Piano Piece to Philip Guston (1963)
György Kurtág (b. 1926): Les Adieux (1992)
"...feuilles mortes..." (2004)
Thomas Simaku (b. 1958): Hommage à Kurtág (2011)
Samuel Barber (1910-1981): Sonata for Piano in E-flat minor, Op.26 (1946)

* On Sunday, 29th of September at 5:00pm, Hayk Melikyan will offer a Master-class with the active participation of Cypriot music students. The master-class is open to the public and will last approximately two hours including a break. (The Shoe Factory, Nicosia / Free Admission)

The event is part of the 5th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival