MUSIC BY JOHN SARKISSIAN

SOLO INSTRUMENTAL

Gruesome Grey Pulp, Suite for Piano (2010)

“Grausamer Grauer Brei”

I.a.Introduction

b.Car Start

c.Promenade/Organisation

II.Scherzo/Energy

III.Fugue/Confines

IV.Intermezzo/Intermission

V.Meditation/Difference

VI.Gallop/Reconciliation     

First Performance: June 5, 2011, Cafe’ Paradiso, Ottawa, Canada

Performer: John Sarkissian

Duration: 20 minutes

Sonata in F – solo piano (2009)

I.Allegro moderato

II.Nocturne

III.Rubato

IV.Vivo precipitoso

dedicated to Armen Babakhanian

Duration: 22 minutes

Theme and Variations for Solo Piano      (1990/revised 1995)

dedicated to Steven Harrison

First performance: November 16, 1995, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Brookline Village, MA.

Performer: Esther Budiardjo

Duration: 16 minutes

My Weekly Adventure – solo piano (1997)

1.Sunday/Mothers’ Day

2.Monday/My Little Computer Mouse

3.Tuesday/What a Dream!

4.Wednesday/With Mom at the Supermarket     

5.Thursday/Bouncing Off the Wall

6.Friday/Lullaby

7.Saturday/Riding in Dad’s New Car

First performance: March 26, 1998 at Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Cambridge, MA

Performer: John Sarkissian

Duration: 10 minutes

Six Little Pieces – solo piano (2002)

1.Morning Prayer

2.Good Morning, Mr.Janitor

3.Hat on the Wind (Catch that Hat!)

4.After Bedtime

5.The Old Swiss Table-Clock

6.The Unfunny Clown

First Performance: November 8, 2002 at Follen Church, Lexington, MA

Performer: Student performer

Duration: 8 minutes

Memories of Childhood – solo piano (1996)

1.Andantino

2.The Little People

First Performance: May 21, 1996 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Brookline Village, MA

Performer: Karine Bagdasarian

Duration: 7 minutes

Musical Passage “Tender Love”– solo piano (1991)

First Performance: May 27, 1992

Jan Popper Theater, Schoenberg Hall, UCLA, Westwood, CA

Performer: Judy Huang

Duration: 6 minutes

CHAMBER MUSIC

Suite for Four – flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon (1993)

I. Scherzo-Tarantella       

II. A Little Song     

III.Waltz     

First Performance: December 5, 1993 at Brown Hall, New England Concervatory, Boston, MA

Performer: Student performance

Duration: 10 minutes

Three Christmas Carols – violin, viola, and cello (1994)

1.A Virgin Most Pure

2.Hajej Ninjej Jezecku

3.God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen

First Performance: December 13, 1994 at Brown Hall, New England Concervatory, Boston, MA

Performer: Michael Yokas, violin, Jason Totzke, viola, Tahirah Whittington, cello

Duration: 9 minutes

Three Christmas Carols – version for brass quintet (2000)

1.A Virgin Most Pure

2.Hajej Ninjej Jezecku

3.God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen     

First Performance: January 19, 2001

Follen Church, Lexington, MA

Performers: Brass Domain

Daniel Duncan, trumpet, Karen Muenzinger, trumpet, Shelagh Abate, horn,

Walter Bostian, trombone, Michael S. Milnarik, tuba

Duration: 9 minutes

Overnight Drafts – clarinet in A and piano (1995)

I.A Celebratory Commission

II.Humoresque

III.Scherzo Diabolico

First Performance: February 14, 1995

Williams Hall, New England Conservatory, Boston, MA

Performers: Oliver Schneller (on Saxophone), John Sarkissian, piano

Duration: 10 minutes

Toccata – for four left hands on two pianos (1992/1997)

First Performance: May 3, 2003

Steinway Hall, Vienna, Austria

Performers: Marianne Dobner, Katharina Dudas, Christoph Wimmer, Johannes Bigenzahn

Duration: 6 minutes

Toccata – piano duo version (1997)

*commissioned by Ms. Scarlet Saroyan

First Performance: March 26, 1998

Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Cambridge, MA

Performers: Aaron Jensen, John Sarkissian

Duration: 6 minutes

Cypriot Songs for Maria Jane – medium voice, flute, viola, cello, and harp (1997)

1. I Peyotissa (the Woman from Peyia)

2. Traghoudhi tis sousas (Song of the Swing)     

3. Traghoudhi tou ghamou (Wedding Song)     

4. Kotchini trandafiyia mou (My Red Rose Tree)

5. To Yasemin (the Jasmine)       

6.Maroula mou (My Maroula)     

7. Psintri vasilitcha mou (My Delicate Basil Plant)

8. Tillirkotissa (a Girl from Tillirka)     

9. Aghapisa tin (I Loved Her)

First Performance: February 23, 1999

St. Cecilia’s Church, Boston, MA

Performers: Penelope Bitzas, mezzo-soprano, Doriot Anthony Dwyer, flute,

Nikita Pogrebnoy, viola, Emmanuel Feldman, cello

Juli Miller, harp David Pichadze, conductor

Duration: 30 minutes

Review of Cypriot Songs for Maria Jane in Journal of Singing by Judith Carman

String Quartet No.1 (2002)

I.Theme and Variations  
Excerpt 1     
Excerpt 2     
Excerpt 3     

First Performance: February 14, 2003

Pickman Concert Hall, Cambridge, MA

Performers: The Arden Quartet

Duration: 25 minutes

Trio for Flute, Cello, and Piano “Trio Rustico” (2003)

I. The Village Fair “Sunrise” – Andantino gioioso

II. Improvisation “Gazing into Sunset” – L’istesso tempo
Excerpt 1     
Excerpt 2     
Excerpt 3     

III. Rhapsody “Into the Night” – Molto energico

First Performance: November 2, 2003

St. Paul’s Church, Brookline, MA

Performers: Doriot Anthony Dwyer, flute, Luis Leguía,cello, Carmen Rodriguez-Peralta, piano

Dedicated to Doriot Anthony Dwyer

Duration: 24 minutes

*This trio is also available in the version for violin, cello, and piano.

My Weekly Adventure – version for flute, clarinet, horn, and piano (1997/2005)

*commissioned by Bettina Semrau

First Performance: Berlin

Performers:

Duration: 10 minutes

Iranian Songs and Dances I – high voice, cello, and piano (2008)

1.Do be Do (The Two of Us)

2.Láláyi (Lullaby)

3.Massom, Massom (I'm Drunk with Your Love)     

Duration:

Iranian Songs and Dances II – high voice, tombak, flute, cello, and piano (2008)

1.Gole Gandom (Wheat Flower)     

2.To Bio (Come, Sit by Me)

3.Bezerán (I am Burning)

4.Darene Ján/Aziz Jun (Dear Darene/My Darling)     

Duration:

Iranian Songs and Dances III – high voice, flute (piccolo), cello, and piano (2008)

1.Se Godár (The Three Gorges)

2.Mixám Beram Kuh (I Want to Go to the Mountains)

3.Doxtare Boyer-Ahmadi (Girl from Boyer-Ahmad)     

Duration:

Iranian Songs and Dances IV – high voice, flute, cello, and piano (2009)

1.Áx Leylom, Váx Leylari (Ah, My Leyli!)       

2.Souze Rox (My Darling Souze)      

3.Dam Koll       

Duration:

Iranian Songs and Dances V – high voice, tombak, flute, cello, and piano (2009)

1.Lorr Bačče (A Lori Kid)     

2.Dast be Dastmálom Mazan (Don't Touch My Handkerchief!)     

3.Ásemun be un Gapi (The Sky so High!)

Duration:

*all five books of Iranian Songs and Dances commissioned by Ms. Nazila Bawandi

Armenian Fantasy      (2010)

*commissioned by the Cadence Ensemble

Duration: 14.5 minutes

CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Concerto for Piano, Strings, and Percussion      (2005)

*commissioned by Armen Babakhanian

First performance: 2007

Performer: Armen Babakhanian (piano), National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, Aram Gharabekian (conductor)

Duration: 25 minutes

The Lovers' Garden      – soprano, flute, oboe, bassoon and strings (2010)

1st prize winner of the 2010-11 “Muzyka Ogrodowa” International Composition Competition, Wrocław-Krakow, Poland

First performance: May 25, 2011

Leopold Hall, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland

Performers: Sylwia Olszyńska, soprano; Orfeusz Chamber Orchestra; Jan Baryła, conductor

Duration: 12.5 minutes

A Tale of Two Shtetlekh – Klezmer Fantasy in Two Parts for Solo Violin and Strings (2011)

First performance:

Performers:

Duration: circa 17 minutes

The Rose and the Nightingale – Iranian Traditional Melodies for Solo Violin and Strings (2011)

First performance:

Performers:

Duration: circa 6 minutes

Warm Hearts in Frozen Nights – a Medley of Quebec Melodies for Solo Violin, Strings, and Percussion (2011)

First performance:

Performers:

Duration: circa 6 minutes

A Caucasus Concero Non Grosso – a Fantasy Suite of Armenian Traditional Melodies for Solo Violin, Strings, and Percussion (2011)

First performance:

Performers:

Duration: circa 6 minutes

The Moscow Night Watchman – Musical Scene Based on Russian Folk Tunes for Solo Violin and Strings (2011)

First performance:

Performers:

Duration: circa 7 minutes

 

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Your Ripe Love and My Unripe Suffering – voice and orchestra (1995)

Gisher (Night) – high voice, SATB, and orchestra (1998)

Konzertstück – concerto for piano and large orchestra (2006)

I. The Village Fair “Sunrise” – Andantino gioioso

II. Improvisation “Gazing into Sunset” – L’istesso tempo

III. Rhapsody “Into the Night” – Molto energico

Dedicated to Edward Mirzoyan

Duration: 24 minutes

Chinar es (You are Like a Chenar Tree) – voice and orchestra (2010)

Kenats Yerk (Drinking Song) – high voice and orchestra (2011)

First Performance: June 25, 2011

Boston Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts

Performers: Hasmik Papian, soprano; the Boston Pops Orchestra; Keith Lockhart, cond.;

Duration: 2 min. 25 sec.

*Dedicated to Hasmik Papian

 

VOCAL

If You One Day (Te vor mi or) (Bedvin) – high voice and piano (1982)

I Don’t Forget (Chem Moratsel) (Badalian) – voice and piano (1993)

Spring (Garoun) (Peshiktashlian) – voice and piano (1984/rev.1990)

The Night (Gisher) (Terian) – tenor and piano (1987)

Lullaby      (Oror)  (Terian)– contralto and piano (1990)

To Arnold S(choenberg) – voice and piano (1995)

Five Songs on Poems by Anna Akhmatova – voice and piano (1999)

I.Не любишь/You Don't Love Me     

II.Лучше б мне/I Would Rather     

III.Песня последней встречи/Song of the Last Meeting     

IV.Он любил/He Did Love

V.Слаб голос мой/My Voice is Weak     

Amazing Grace – voice and organ (2005)

Vertigo (vocal cycle, Sevak) – voice and piano (2006)   

*commissioned by Nouné Karapetian

1.Դու/You

2.Քո պատճառով/Because of You

3.Վերջին սփոփանք/Last Conciliation

4.Գլխապտոյտ/Vertigo

5.Քո խակ սէրը/Your Unripe Love     

6.Շահրազադէ՜/Sheherazade!

7.Առաջին սէրը/First Love

Two Romances (Terian) – voice and piano (2007) *commissioned by Susanna Martirosyan

CHORAL MUSIC

Anthem – SATB, and piano (1984)

*commissioned by the Ararat (Homenetmen) Armenian Cultural Organization for its 40th anniversary

First Performance: July 4, 1984

Homenetmen “Ararat” Armenian Cultural Organization, Tehran, Iran

Performer: Ararat, Sevan, and Ani Youth choirs; Gourgen Movsissian, conductor

Duration: 3 minutes 15 sec.

Springtime – a cappella (1984)

First Performance: May 27, 1992

Jan Popper Theater, Schoenberg Hall, UCLA, Westwood, CA

Performers: Christi Nuki, Sabrina Francis, soprano

Cassie Reid, Delaina Brown, alto

Mario Rocha, Eli Gunnell, tenor

Ian Hinkle, Chris Warren, bass

Duration: 4 minutes

MIXED ENSEMBLE

The Birds – soprano, mezzo, tenor, SATB, and two pianos (1990) *commissioned by Komitas Choir of Glendale, California

DRAMATIC MUSIC

Galadrial’s Song – musical scene (1998)   listen to demo (sung by Cassandra von Braun)

from the musical comedy “Upside Downstairs” (work in Progress)

Book and lyrics by Cassandra Von Braun

First Performance: 1998, NOMTI  workshop, Berklee School of Music, Boston

First Performer: Tambre Tarleton

Duration:

Nicholas and Alexandra – epic opera in 3 acts (work in progress)

Libretto by John Sarkissian

Alexandra's Aria      (excerpt)

Gruesome Grey Pulp “Grausamer Grauer Brei” – a neuroscientific musical screw-ball comedy (2010)

First Performance: April 11, 2011, Musikschule Margareten, Vienna, Austria

Performers: Georg Northoff (as George/Narrator), Elisabeth Eschwe’ (as Liz/Pianist), John Sarkissian (as the Composer/Pianist)

Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes

ARRANGEMENTS

Opera in Prayer I – soprano and organ (selection of operatic and folk prayers with original interludes and original arrangement of folk material, 2005) *commissioned by Pauletta De Vaughn

Opera in Prayer II – soprano and organ (2005) *commissioned by Pauletta De Vaughn

Stravinsky/Concerto for Piano and Winds (arranged for piano, strings orchestra, and timpani, 2006) *commissioned by Armen Babakhanian