Tigran Arakelyan

https://www.tigranarakelyan.com/

Armenian-American conductor Tigran Arakelyan was named by Musical America Worldwide as one of the Top 30 Professionals of the Year and was included in the 40 under 40 honorees by Yamaha Music USA. Recognized as a “highly-esteemed conductor across the Pacific Northwest” (The Leader), Tigran is the Music Director of the Northwest Mahler Festival and the Port Townsend Symphony. Previously, he was the assistant conductor of the California Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra.

He played alongside Sir James Galway during Galway’s induction into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Tigran conducted at prestigious venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles) and the Benaroya Hall (Seattle), but is equally passionate about taking classical music to unconventional venues. As noted by Musical America, he is “known for finding unusual venues for all of his projects, from bars to cafes to homeless shelters.” Tigran received awards from The American Prize for orchestral programming, the Global Music Awards for podcasting and was honored in 425 Business Magazine’s 40 under 40 list of regional leaders.

The Port Townsend Symphony saw unprecedented growth during his tenure. The orchestra grew the budget by six times with no reliance on grants, making it one of the few orchestras in the US to operate without any grant support. During his tenure as Music Director of the Federal Way Youth Symphony and Bainbridge Youth Orchestras, the organizations reached their highest enrollment, added multiple ensembles, premiered pieces, and collaborated with dance companies and choirs. Tigran led the Federal Way Youth Symphony on three tours to South Korea (2014, 2017, 2019), conducting in Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Daejeon, and Gwangju, among other cities. During the pandemic, Bainbridge Youth Orchestra was one of the few youth orchestras in the U.S. to continue in-person rehearsals (outdoor) and present virtual concerts.

He has initiated and is the founder of a few dozen musical projects, including an orchestral strings festival, a chamber orchestra, a young artist competition, BIPOC composer commission projects, free one-on-one private lessons initiative, composer competitions, a public school outreach program, chamber music series, free masterclass series, and numerous scholarship, grant, and funding initiatives for underserved youth. Tigran was the founder and Music Director of the Cadence Chamber Orchestra (WA), the Youth Orchestra at Lark Musical Society (CA), and the co-founder of Campus Philharmonia at the University of Washington. He has programmed diverse concerts with works by William Grant Still, Amy Beach, Alma Mahler, Mieczysław Karłowicz, Fanny Mendelssohn, Alan Hovhaness, Vasily Kalinnikov and conducted regional and world premieres by renowned composers Paul Hindemith, Keith Jarrett, Jovino Santos Neto, Maria Thompson Corley, Brenno Blauth, Adriana Figueroa Manas, Jeff Manookian, and James Cohn.

Tigran held conducting positions with the Tacoma Music Collaborative, Bellingham Symphony, Northridge Youth Philharmonic, Rainier Symphony, Whidbey Island Orchestra, and the Bremerton Youth Symphony. He has conducted the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Olympia Chamber Orchestra, numerous youth orchestras in South Korea, Armenian Pops Orchestra, Juneau Symphony, Ballard Civic Orchestra, Bainbridge Symphony, Inverted Space Ensemble, Lark Orchestra (CA), Yakima Symphony Chamber Orchestra, and innovative collaborations with the Olympic Performance Group and Olympic Youth Choir.

Tigran received the Ludovic Morlot Fellowship at the Pierre Monteux Festival, is a three-time awardee of the Armenian General Benevolent Union Performing Arts Fellowship, and is the first prize winner at the Armenian Allied Arts Competition. He participated in the Conductors Guild Workshop, Monteux School and Music Festival, Idyllwild Music Festival, and Dilijan Chamber Music Series, among others. Tigran conducted in masterclasses with notable conductors David Loebel, Frank Battisti, Donald Thulean, Michael Jinbo, and David Effron. He has worked with numerous composers and has premiered works by Iosif Andriasov, Eleanor Aversa, Michael Austin Miller, Yiğit Kolat, and many others.

Invited by Maestro Ludovic Morlot, Tigran earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting from the University of Washington, where he was the first student in the inaugural class of David A. Rahbee and Morlot. His mentors are Victor Vener, John Barcellona, Paul Taub, and Laura Osborn. In his youth, he played in the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic Orchestra and attended the Lark Musical Society.

Get to Know Tigran

Q&A

What do you love most about conducting?

I love creating programs that inspire and challenge both the orchestra and the audience. Crafting a meaningful and exciting season or a concert takes time and vision, which is a fascinating part of what I do. I love the rehearsal process and witnessing how everything comes together – whether stressful, difficult or fun, it is a new challenge each time I step on the podium. Collaborating with the administrative team to develop both long-term and short-term projects directly connects with presenting innovative programs. I love that there is new music, soloists and experiences and there is always something to work on and improve. Lastly, the concerts, audience interaction, and the presentation are my favorite parts of this journey which I get to share with people who are passionate about orchestral music.

What are some memorable experiences you have had as you’ve shared in community engagement/education?

I was conducting a chamber orchestra for a school outreach tour. While sitting up front next to the bus driver who was taking us to various schools, we spoke about music and conducting. He was fascinated and had always felt intimidated by orchestral music, never having attended a concert. He heard us at the first two schools we visited and saw my interaction with the audience, including how I invited students and teachers to conduct the orchestra as a fun activity to engage them. At the next outreach concert, feeling his excitement, I invited him up to conduct. The audience gave him a roaring applause. At the end of the tour, he gave me a hug and told me it was one of the best experiences of his life.

Can you tell us how you go about developing programs?

When developing programs, I consider two key ideas. First, it’s important to understand what the musicians and audience want, whether it’s featuring a local composer, a popular piece, or a pops concert. A big part of what we do is to share with the audience, and their opinions matter—performing in an empty hall is no fun. The musicians spend a lot of time preparing and have many years of experience with both the local audience and the repertoire, so considering their input is also crucial.

Second, as an organization with an educational mission, we have a duty to challenge the community with music and experiences that might be unfamiliar but offer opportunities for learning and discovery. Finding the right balance between recognizing what the community wants and how we, as an organization, can challenge and educate them is what makes for good programming.

At the core of any programming is the presentation. It is important to communicate the vision of the program through pre-concert talks, from the stage, and via other platforms.

What excites you most about the Juneau Symphony?

Juneau is a wonderful place with welcoming people. Although it’s a small city, it boasts a vibrant arts scene, and the symphony orchestra holds a unique place within it. The orchestra is comprised of excellent local and guest musicians who embrace a variety of repertoire, making it exciting to program a season. The audience is enthusiastic, and as a musician, it is exhilarating to conduct for an appreciative community of supporters.