De jonge, briljante Armeense pianist Hayk Melikyan brengt in de Geelvinck Salon van 19 april een programma met Armeens – Joodse pianomuziek zoals de Armeense Komitas, grondlegger van de Armeense gecomponeerde muziek en wegbereider voor de hedendaagse Armeense componist Arno Babadjanian.

Hayk Melikyan speelt ook composities van Willy Weiner, Armeens-Joods violist, vocalist en componist, met Nederlandse wortels.

Hayk Melikyan en Willie Weiner, landgenoten van elkaar, kennen elkaar ook op muzikaal vlak.

De familie van Willy Weiner, zelf geboren in 1955, heeft sporen in Nederland: gedurende WOII is het gezin gedeporteerd uit Schiedam, waar de familie was gaan wonen, na een verblijf in de VS. Oorspronkelijk woonden de Weiners in de Ukraine, maar verhuisden in 1927 naar de VS.

Willy Weiner’s muziek draagt meerdere muziektradities in zich: Armeens, Joods en jazz; symfonisch, kamermuziek en koormuziek.

Hayk Melikyan – pianist

Hayk Melikyan is recognized internationally as one of Armenia’s most versatile and imaginative musicians and among today’s most engaging pianists. Born in Yerevan, he took his first piano lessons with Irina Grishinskaya and then studied atthe Yerevan State Conservatory with professor Alexander Gourgenov.

Hayk Melikyan’s international concert début took place at the “Concerto Di Concerti” International Festival of the 20th century Music in Rome (Italy). He leads an active concert life, playing in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Cyprus, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Sweden etc. 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 has included contemporary music as a leading part of his concert programs. In 2008, Hayk Melikyan was granted with “Samson Francois” special prize at the Orléans international piano competition (France). He is the first performer of many Armenian and foreign composers in Armenia and abroad. This activity led the Pianist to an idea of initiating concert series “1900+” on the 20th Century and Contemporary World Piano Music.

“You say a festive feeling of existence or а sheer joy of living… I think that the above mentioned feelings and similar luxuries are deeply possessed by Hayk Melikyan at the moments whenever he plays piano. These are the moments when he equally performs both as a pianist and a composer. The remaining time he dedicates to the maturing of these moments.

Nothing could be more wonderful than a talent of creation of mirth for one’s own soul, possession of it and sharing with those people who are able to seize it.”

Tigran Mansouryan

Hayk Melikyan is a participant of international festivals in France: “Musique en Cote de Nacre” and “Festival de Valmagne”. Hayk Melikyan has performed in “Pharos Arts Foundation” in Cyprus, Swiss “Concertus Saisonnus”, Armenian “National Gallery Music Festival”, Swedish “O/Modernt” and many other international festivals and concerts. He has released three CDs of the 20th Century and Contemporary music. The last one is dedicated to Armenian music.

It is worth mentioning about the valuable achievements of Hayk Melikyan in Composition: he is an author of many chamber-instrumental, vocal works as well as symphonic and chorus music. His piano transcriptions, concert paraphrases and arrangements are among the favorite ones in the repertoires of many pianists. The unique talent and creative imagination of Hayk Melikyan in improvisation adds an unusual value to his recitals.