Ep. 98: Diane Schuur, Grammy winning jazz vocalist

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

Guests: Anna S. Demerjian and Artyom Manukyan In this episode we talk about Zartonk Academy with Anna and Artyom. Anna is the Development Director of Zartonk Academy and Artyom is a cellist, composer, and rapper who will be teaching at the academy. This year, the Academy will be based in Artsakh with renowned artists and educators. Learn about Zartonk Academy and Donate here: https://www.atkenarmenianfoundation.c...

© Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2022

Joseph Bohigian is a composer and performer whose cross-cultural experience as an Armenian-American is a defining message in his music. His work explores the expression of exile, cultural reunification, and identity maintenance in diaspora. His music, described as “delightfully accessible and inventive” (SoundWordSight), has been heard around the world at the Oregon Bach Festival, June in Buffalo, Walt Disney Concert Hall, New Music on the Point Festival, TENOR Conference (Melbourne), and Aram Khachaturian Museum Hall. His recent piece Khazeri Yerazhshtutyun focuses on the gesturality of the ancient Armenian musical script called khaz and was written for the Festival Mixtur Composition and Sound Experimentation Workshop in Barcelona. He has also worked with performers including Mivos Quartet, Decibel New Music, Great Noise Ensemble, Argus Quartet, Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy, and members of Yarn/Wire. Currently, Bohigian is composing a work on the resettlement of Syrian-Armenians in the Republic of Armenia in collaboration with the Rerooted Archive.

In addition to composing, Bohigian performs as a percussionist, pianist, and laptop musician. He has premiered many new works and curated concerts of contemporary music for the Composer’s Voice Concert Series in New York, for which he was called a “triple-threat” by Time Out New York for his role as curator, composer, and performer. He founded the Fresno State New Music Ensemble and is a member of Ensemble Decipher, a group dedicated to the performance of live electronic music, with whom he has recently performed at the International Computer Music Conference, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, Society of Electro-Acoustic Music Conference, and Network Music Festival.

Having grown up in the large Armenian community of Fresno, California, the themes of displacement, dispersion, and reclamation in Armenian culture are important influences on his work. In 2012, he traveled to Yerevan, Armenia where he wrote his piece Dzirani Dzar, based on the folk song of the same name, while studying with composer Artur Avanesov. In 2015, he wrote In the Shadow of Ararat, a work commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ararat was premiered alongside other works by living Armenian composers and featured on NPR’s Here and Now and The California Report. He recently spent nine months in Armenia, where he composed The Water Has Found its Crack based on his archival research at the Komitas Museum-Institute and taught a laptop orchestra workshop at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan.

Bohigian is a graduate of Stony Brook University, where he held a Graduate Council Fellowship, and California State University Fresno. He has studied with Nirmali Fenn, Matthew Barnson, Margaret Schedel, Perry Goldstein, Dan Weymouth, Kenneth Froelich, and Benjamin Boone.

Ep. 143: Eugenia Forteza, opera singer and founder of 360 of Opera.

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

Eugenia Forteza joins the podcast for a second time during the pandemic (recorded on Dec. 21, 2020). In this podcast we talk about Eugenia's busy schedule during the pandemic, what various arts organizations have done during this time, getting married and much more. Eugenia is the founder of 360 of Opera which has a tremendous following in the opera world and beyond.

Eugenia currently resides in NYC, where she freelances as a vocalist, actor and model. She is the Founder and Lead Editor of 360° of Opera and serves as a Board Member ​of Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra & Frisson Films.

Ep. 142: Joe Kinzer, ethnographer, archivist, and ethnomusicologist

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

From Joe Kinzer's website:

I am an ethnographer, archivist, and ethnomusicologist specializing in issues of identity and religious expression in Asian musical contexts. I am the Senior Curatorial Assistant in the Archive of World Music at Harvard’s Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library, as well as an Affiliate Faculty member at Antioch University.

My work focuses on musicians, audiences, and asking ethnographic questions about objects, such as musical instruments and sound recordings, and how the contrapuntality of agency between these forces works to inform cultural formation. In my book project, Arab Lutes and Global Routes in the Music of Muslim Malaysia (Routledge, forthcoming), I use the circuitous migration of Arab lutes to Southeast Asia as a lens to explore how centuries of conflicting Hindu-Buddhist and Islamic influences from India and the Middle East have transformed and continue to complicate Malay cultural politics in 21st century musical practices.

I teach courses in humanities research methods using the lenses of global pop, world music, and sound studies. I have had the privelege of teaching courses at Northern Illinois University, University of Washington, and Antioch University. Some of these courses included Introduction to Music and Culture Studies, American Popular Song, and Humanities Research Methods through Music and Sound.

I received a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in music from Northern Illinois University. My work has received generous support from a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship, the U.S. Department of Education’s Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) program, and the Social Sciences Research Council of Canada.

I play the oud and guitar and currently perform with Boston College’s Astaza! Arab Music Ensemble. I live in Boston with my wife and daughter. 

© Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

Ep. 141: David Korevaar, "You can access the world, it's not easy to reach the world..."

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

In this episode Korevaar talks about his studies with Earl Wild and David Diamond, recordings, teachings and much more.

Hailed for his “wonderfully warm, pliant, spontaneous playing” by the Washington Post, award winning pianist David Korevaar is in demand as a soloist, chamber musician and collaborator. Korevaar has performed and given master classes throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. Recent highlights include recitals and master classes in Taipei, and a tour of Brazil, with recitals and master classes in São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, João Pessoa, Recife and Natal. He has also concertized and given master classes in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan as part of the U.S. State Department’s Cultural Envoy program and taught at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) in Kabul.

Korevaar’s active career includes solo performances with the Rochester Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Japan’s Shonan Chamber Orchestra, Brazil’s Goiania Symphony, and with acclaimed conductors Guillermo Figueroa, Per Brevig, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and Jorge Mester. His performance of John Cage’s Concerto for Prepared Piano and Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Paul Zukofsky was praised by the New York Times “as admirably projected in the devoted and lovely performance of David Korevaar.” David was honored to work with Cage to prepare the concerto.

Ep. 140: Leslie Mandoki, "Music is the greatest unifier.."

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

In this episode rockstar Leslie Mandoki talks about his early years in Hungary, being a refugee in Germany and eventual rise to stardom.

In 1991, Ian Anderson, Jack Bruce, and Al Di Meola became founding members of Leslie Mandoki’s band project ManDoki Soulmates, and for almost three decades, Leslie Mandoki has continued to unite a “who is who” of the icons of Anglo-American and European rock and jazz- rock in the Mandoki Soulmates band.

The remarkable lineups in the band’s recordings and performances over the years has included singers and players including Ian Anderson, Jack Bruce, David Clayton-Thomas, Chaka Khan, Chris Thompson, Bobby Kimball and Steve Lukather, Nick van Eede, Eric Burdon, Nik Kershaw, Greg Lake, Al di Meola, Randy and Michael Brecker, Cory Henry, Bill Evans, John Helliwell, Till Brönner, Klaus Doldinger, Mike Stern, Richard Bona, Anthony Jackson, Victor Bailey, Pino Palladino, Tony Carey, Mark Hart, Paul Carrack, Peter Frampton, and Jon Lord.

The Soulmates concerts are marked by the musical synergy of all these musical icons united in one supergroup of Grammy award winning legends, where everyone’s egos come second. Original Soulmates compositions and collective improvisations on highest levels are just as much part of the concerts as world-renowned hits of the individual Soulmates members. “One stage – one band!”

With his Soulmates Leslie Mandoki raises Jazz-Rock back to socio-political relevance, to quote him in his own words: “Even in times of Twitter, social media and short news on the smartphone, when mental laziness often blocks the perception, music for us is still like a love letter to our audience – handwritten with ink on paper.”

This band is pure sophisticated JazzRock, or as Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) put it: “One of the best bands you will ever hear!”

Ep. 139: Rose Gear, executive director and bassist.

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

In this episode Rose speaks about her passion for hiking, capoeira, professional career as a bassist, move to PNW to work with the Seattle Symphony and Ludovic Morlot, finding a new bass, working as a Executive Director and more.

Rose Gear, an experienced music and arts administrator, business professional and musician, has been appointed full-time executive director of the Cascade Symphony Orchestra by the organization’s board of directors. Gear, who has served as executive assistant to the Seattle Symphony’s music director, Ludovic Morlot, during the past four years, will be the CSO’s administrative leader, working with board members to establish and achieve the mission and values of the orchestra. She will manage business affairs and advocacy in addition to directing community relations and fundraising for the 57-year old nonprofit music organization. She will also work with Cascade Symphony Music Director Michael Miropolsky.

The current Seattle area resident “graduated with distinction,” earning a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Wisconsin. She also received an MBA – with a specialty in arts administration – from the same institution.

Her background with the Seattle Symphony includes experience in marketing; patron, board member, volunteer and donor relations; and concert venue management. Prior to relocating to Western Washington, she served for a year in marketing for the Madison (Wisconsin) Symphony.

© Let's Talk Off The Podium, 2020

In this episode Jovino speaks about his long relationship with Hermeto Pascoal, background in biology, teaching, composing and performing. We also talk about Pascoal's boxing encounter with Miles Davis and much more.

Three-time Latin Grammy nominee Jovino Santos Neto, a master pianist, composer and arranger, is among the top Brazilian musicians working today. Currently based in Seattle, Washington, he has throughout his career been closely affiliated with the Brazilian master Hermeto Pascoal. He was an integral part of Pascoal's group from 1977 to1992, where he fine-tuned his artistry, performing around the world and co-producing several legendary records.

Jovino’s personal style is a creative blend of energetic grooves, deep harmonies, telepathic improvisation, lyrical melodies and great ensemble playing, always inspired and informed by the colorful richness of Brazilian music. His compositions include samba, choro, baião, xote, forró, marcha and many more styles, rooted in centuries-old musical tradition while pointing to new and adventurous harmonic languages.

Ep. 137: Joseph Young, conductor.

"Don't wait for people to open doors for you."

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

In this episode Joseph talks about his early career as a high school band conductor, studying with Marin Alsop at the the Cabrillo Festival, attending the Peabody Conservatory and working as an assistant at the Baltimore Symphony. He also speaks about New Music USA, Amplifying Voices, conducting competitions, running, yoga, working with Robert Spano, stepping in to conduct at last minute, life changing moments (one of which is becoming an uncle) and much more.

Praised for his suavely adventurous programing, Joseph Young is increasingly recognized as “one of the most gifted conductors of his generation.” Joseph is Music Director of the Berkeley Symphony, Artistic Director of Ensembles for the Peabody Conservatory, and Resident Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra–USA at Carnegie Hall. In recent years, he has made appearances with the Saint Louis Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Bamberger Symphoniker, New World Symphony Orchestra, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, and the Orquesta Sinfonica y Coro de RTVE (Madrid); among others in the U.S. and Europe.

Ep. 136: Vanessa Reed, President and CEO of New Music USA.

Let's Talk Off The Podium with Tigran Arakelyan.

Vanessa Reed is excited to be joining New Music USA as President and CEO following just over a decade with PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading funder of new music and talent development. During her time at this specialist new music agency, Vanessa significantly increased support available to diverse music creators at critical stages in their careers and repositioned the Foundation as international advocate and go-to partner for major new music collaborations. Her leadership of strategy and outreach resulted in the launch of an array of transformational funding programmes including the Momentum Music Fund, Women Make Music, Musicians in Residence China and the New Music Biennial which help music creators of all backgrounds to realise their potential. More recently, she also founded, with European and Canadian partners, the award-winning international Keychange initiative which invests in female talent and raises awareness of the gender gap in music.