ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
Nuné Melik, Violinist - Hailed as a violinist who has “proven the theory of self-actualization” (Strings Magazine), Dr. Nuné Melikian is an internationally recognized artist, educator, and scholar dedicated to expanding the horizons of classical music. Through her dynamic performances, groundbreaking research, and commitment to education, she has established herself as a visionary in the field. From her Carnegie Hall debut at Stern Auditorium to sharing the stage with Jimmy Buffett, Nuné brings an unyielding spirit and artistic depth to every performance.
She has appeared at Walt Disney Hall, the UN Headquarters, Place des Arts (Montreal), Palais Montcalm (Quebec City), and the International House of Music in Moscow, among many other prestigious venues worldwide. Her ability to bridge cultures through music has made her a sought-after soloist and collaborator, performing in Russia, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Italy, France, Armenia, and the French West Indies.
In addition to her classical career, Nuné embraces an unconventional approach to concertizing, performing in diverse settings that challenge the traditional boundaries of classical music. Her collaborations range from chamber ensembles to contemporary cross-genre projects, allowing her to engage with a broad spectrum of musical expressions.
Nuné is the founder and artistic director of the Hidden Treasure International Project, a groundbreaking initiative that combines research, performance, and education to bring rarely performed works to the forefront. In 2017, Nuné released her critically acclaimed album “Hidden Treasure”, a collection of little-known works by Armenian composers, accompanied by original program notes. The album received widespread recognition and was described as a “love letter to Armenia” (CBC Radio).
As a soloist, Nuné has performed with numerous distinguished orchestras, including the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonia Toronto, Orquestra Filarmonia (Mexico), Gnessin Virtuosi, Orchestre Symphonique d’Estuaire, and Moscow State Chamber Orchestra. Her ability to seamlessly blend technical brilliance with emotional depth has made her a favorite among audiences and critics alike. She has been a featured artist at major international festivals, including: Montreal Chamber Music Festival, Montreal Bach Festival, Festival Classica (Montreal), Musical Armenia, Strad for Lunch (New York), Water Island Festival (St. Thomas), St. Barth Music Festival (Saint Barthelemy), 1000 violons de Maurienne (France), Festival du Monde Arabe (Montreal).
Sinfonia Toronto now in its 28th season, has toured twice in Europe, in the US, South America and China, receiving glowing reviews. It has released six CD’s, including a JUNO Award winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its extensive repertoire includes all the major string orchestra works of the 18th through 21st centuries, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra’s performances present outstanding international guest artists and prominent Canadian musicians.
Maestro Nurhan Arman has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the US, returning regularly to many orchestras in Europe. Among the orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, Orchestra Sinfonico di Roma, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d’Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Arpeggione Kammerorchester, Milano Classica and Belgrade Philharmonic.
ABOUT THE MUSIC
Elegy by Karen Ananyan (1976- )
Canadian premiere
Elegy by the award winning Armenian composer Karen Ananyan is a short work that displays the singing qualities of the violin. Composer Karen Ananyan has been active internationally as a pianist, arranger and composer.
Violin Concerto No. 2 by Alan Hovhannes (1911-2000)
The music of Alan Hovhaness, one of America’s most prolific composers, enchants with his signature synthesis of East and West. Influenced by his Armenian heritage and a fascination with nature and spirituality Hovhaness sought to create music “for all people, music which is beautiful and healing.” The Violin Concerto No. 2, one of a series of ten concertos for various instruments, requires the soloist and ensemble to play using distinctive effects including tone clusters, melisma, and playing without strict measure.
My School Has a Graveyard by Brent Straughan (1946 - )
Ontario Premiere
Brent Straughan began piano studies at five, in Jasper, “and soon realized that he did not have to simply play the little black notes on the page, he could determine their fates himself!” Adding violin at ten, he studied composition with Ken Benshoof in Seattle and received a SOCAN Young Composer’s Award after finishing his MA at Simon Fraser University. He has pursued a multi-faceted career including work in film and television production and editing while continuing to compose throughout.
Straughan’s music is often inspired by his concern for historical and contemporary injustices and undeserved loss. His works have captured the tragedy of deaths in war-torn Sarajevo in 1992, the unjust 1869 hanging of two Hesquiaht men on Vancouver Island, and contrasted lovely Japanese gardens with their caretakers’ journey to WWII internment camps. ‘My School Has a Graveyard’ of course refers to recent discoveries at many of Canada’s former residential schools. “Music, in its own way,” Brent says, “can right wrongs. It can be a great force of reconciliation.”
Visions Fugitives Op. 22 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Orchestral version by Nurhan Arman
The Visions Fugitives date from the years 1915 to 1917. The miniatures average a minute in length and are reminiscent of Beethoven’s Bagatelles and Chopin’s Preludes. They were inspired by the Russian Symbolist poet Konstantin Balmont’s lines, “In every fugitive vision I see worlds, / Full of the changing play of rainbow hues.”
In spite of each section’s extremely brief span, the Visions Fugitives survey a wide horizon of emotions and musical approaches. Prokofiev’s biographer Israel Nestyev described them as “something like entries in a diary” and as “experiments from a laboratory, a storehouse of materials to be used in the future large works of a composer always eager to increase the scope of his art.” They range from lyrical to witty, serene to agitated, from stern to seductive, creating a remarkable adventure in listening through small bites, perhaps very well suited to 21st-century listeners’ sensibility formed by online posts and videos.
Music from Swan Lake: Swan Theme; Dance of the Little Swans by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Adapted for string orchestra by Nurhan Arman
Tchaikovsky wrote the ballet music for Swan Lake in 1875-1876. The ballet premiered in 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre. Before Swan Lake, ballet music was usually considered light entertainment. Composers typically wrote simple scores meant mainly to accompany choreography. Tchaikovsky changed that tradition by writing a score that was symphonic in scale, emotionally expressive and dramatically integrated with the story. Swan Lake helped transform ballet music into a serious orchestral art form.
The ballet tells the tragic love story of Prince Siegfried, Odette (a princess turned into a swan by a sorcerer), Von Rothbart (an evil magician), and Odile (Odette’s deceptive double). Prince Siegfried meets Odette at a magical lake where she is trapped under a spell. He swears eternal love to break the curse. At a royal ball, the sorcerer presents Odile disguised as Odette and Siegfried mistakenly declares love for Odile. When the lovers confront the curse at the lake, the ending may be tragic or redemptive, depending on each production.
Although the ballet contains dozens of dances, several are especially well-known favourites. The Swan Theme is one of the most familiar melodies in classical music. With a melancholy melody and gentle string accompaniment, it expresses Odette’s sorrow and beauty. The Dance of the Little Swans, one of the ballet’s most famous dances, features a quick tempo and playful staccato rhythm.
Though it the ballet widely famous today, the 1877 premiere was not successful. Problems included weak choreography, poor staging and uneven performances. The ballet only became famous after a 1895 revival choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, the version that established the choreography still used today. Swan Lake became one of the most famous ballets in history; it has influenced countless ballet productions, films, cartoons, figure skating routines and other aspects of popular culture.
Algerian Dance by Amine Soufari (1987 - )
Canadian premiere
Amine Soufari was born in Laghouat, on the edge of the Algerian Desert. Now a pianist, guitarist, accordionist and percussionist, he first studied in Algiers, where he also developed a passion for composing and conducting. After arriving in France in 2014, he completed a degree in musicology and in 2015 a masters in music research and creation, both at the University of Aix-Marseille. He also continued studies in choral conducting at the Conservatoire de Marseille where he was awarded the 2020 conducting prize. In 2022 he received the composition prize from the Conservatoire de Marseille. He has also been awarded the Diamond Prize for Original Composition at the Debussy International Music Competition.
Mr. Soufari explores varied musical horizons: traditional music from all shores around the Mediterranean, jazz, and contemporary classical. He has been commissioned by the City of Aix-en-Provence, and regularly takes part in the Festival d'Art lyrique d'Aix en Provence.
