Dilijan Chamber Players Makes Its Segerstrom Center Debut with an All-Russian Program

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1 CONTACT Scalla Jakso (714) x4710, Laura Lanzi (714) x4371, Images: SCFTA.org/media RELEASE UPDATED November 17, 2015 Dilijan Chamber Players Makes Its Segerstrom Center Debut with an All-Russian Program Thursday, January 14, 2016 in Samueli Theater; tickets on sale now COSTA MESA, CA Los Angeles-based Dilijan Chamber Players makes its Segerstrom Center debut on Thursday, January 14 at 8 p.m. in Samueli Theater. The evening features works by four of Russia s great composers from the 19 th and early 20 th centuries. The program includes Rachmaninov s Trio Élégiaque No. 1 in G minor; Shostakovich s Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp minor, Op. 108; Scriabin s Prelude in D-flat Major, Op.17, No. 3 and Op. 59 No. 1 and No. 2; and Taneyev s rarely performed Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 30. A free preview talk by Taneyev scholar and cellist Armen Ksajikian will take place at 7:15 p.m. The Dilijan Chamber Players is a group of musicians who have a long-standing connection with the Dilijan Chamber Music Series, directed by Movses Pogossian. For the Segerstrom Center concert, the musicians include Movses Pogossian, violin, Varty Manouelian, violin; Guillaume Sutre, viola; Armen Ksajikian, cello and Armen Guzelimian, piano. Tickets for Dilijan Chamber Players start at $29 and are now available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) The TTY number is (714) Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds the Colburn Foundation for its support of the Chamber Music Series. Kia is the Official Automotive Partner of the Center and United Airlines is the Official Airline of the Center. Classical KUSC is the Media Partner of the Chamber Music Series. Segerstrom Center s Chamber Music Series continues next with the Dover Quartet on March 17, 2016 and St. Lawrence String Quartet on April 8, BIOS Armen Guzelimian Armen Guzelimian's distinguished career enjoys national and international acclaim for his versatility as a topranking collaborative artist, a first-rate virtuoso soloist in his own right, and a sought-after master vocal coach. Guzelimian has appeared with the LA Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, California Chamber Symphony,Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Nebraska Chamber Orchestra, American Youth

2 Dilijan Chamber Players NEWS 2/5 Symphony among others. In March of 2014 year he made his Disney Hall debut performing with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and in June he performed as soloist with the Pasadena Pops Orchestra conducted by Michael Feinstein. Guzelimian has diverse recordings on the EMI, Angel, Teldec, Nonesuch, Delos, Crystal and Orion labels. He and Michael Feinstein recorded an album of WWI songs for Angel records. Many of his performances have been heard nationally on the NPR and other radio networks, and he can be seen performing on the Classic Arts Showcase on PBS as well as in director Peter Rosen's documentary Shadows in Paradise. Armen Ksajikian Admired as much for his artistry and as for his sense of humor, Armen Ksajikian joined LACO as associate principal cello in the season. He started out his professional career at age 12 with the Abkhazian State Philharmonic in the former Soviet Union. Since 1976, Armen has been very active in LA's musical life, working with such notables as Heifetz, Rostropovich, Van Cliburn, Pavarotti, Rosza, Giulini, Baryshnikov, Cage, Mancini, Corea, Dudamel, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Randy Newman, Zubin Mehta and James Cameron, and with groups such as the Eagles, Incubus, System Of Down, and with the Duke Ellington, Dancing with the Stars and Academy Awards orchestras. Armen has appeared as a soloist with the Nacional Orchestre du Brazil, Pacific Symphony, and Hollywood Bowl and Los Angeles Chamber orchestras, and regularly subs with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He is a member of several ensembles including The Catgut trio, The Rio Trio, California String Quartet and the award-winning Armadillo String Quartet, with whom he performed Haydn's complete string quartets in a 34 ½ hour marathon. Guillaume Sutre Guillaume Sutre began his studies in Douai, France; he entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris at age 14. As a student of Gérard Poulet and Jean-Claude Pennetier, he was awarded first prize in both violin and in chamber music. After finishing his studies in France, he attended Indiana University at Bloomington to study with Josef Gingold, Franco Gulli, Menahem Pressler, and Janos Starker. He then studied in Cologne with the Amadeus Quartet. He was only 18 years old when he won first prize in the International Violin Competition, A. Curci, in Napoli; the International Piano-Trio ARD Competition in Munich; and the International Chamber Music Competition in South Bend, Indiana. Very early in his career, he was attracted to chamber music. His vast repertoire, over 400 works performed, featured all the chamber music works of Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Ravel, and all 68 Haydn quartets. His life as a musician could not find its full bloom without transmitting his knowledge and sharing his concert experience with musicians of the younger generation. In 1994, the SACEM awarded him the prestigious George Enesco prize. In 1999 he was named Chevalier of the Order of Arts and the Letters. Movses Pogossian Violinist Movses Pogossian made his acclaimed American debut performing the Tchaikovsky Concerto with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall in Pogossian has since performed with orchestras such as the Brandenburger Symphoniker and the Halle Philharmonic in Germany, the Sudety Philharmonic in Poland,

3 Dilijan Chamber Players NEWS 3/5 the Tucson Symphony, the El Paso Symphony, the Scandinavian Chamber Orchestra of New York, and the Toronto Sinfonia. He is a Prizewinner of the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Competition, and the youngestever First Prize winner of the 1985 USSR National Violin Competition. Pogossian is the Founder and Artistic of the critically acclaimed Dilijan Chamber Music Series, which performs at Zipper Hall in downtown Los Angeles, and is currently in its 11 th season. A committed propagate of new music, Movses Pogossian has premiered over 50 works, and works closely with composers such as G. Kurtag, A. R. Thomas, T. Mansurian, V. Sharafyan, and A. Avanesov. Since earning his advanced degrees from the Komitas Conservatory in Armenia and the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music in Moscow, Pogossian has held teaching positions at Duquesne, Bowling Green, Wayne State, and SUNY Buffalo Universities. Deeply committed to musical education, Pogossian is currently Professor of Violin at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, and is in demand for masterclasses and residencies in the USA and abroad. Varty Manouelian Varty Manouelian made her American debut in 1993 with the North Carolina Symphony as First Prize winner of the Bryan International Competition. She has also been a prizewinner at a number of other competitions, including Kotzian International Competition in Czechoslovakia, Performers of Connecticut, and Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Poland. Manouelian has recorded and appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras in the United States, Bulgaria, the former Soviet Union, Poland, Spain and Italy. Her chamber music performances include participation at the Marlboro Music Festival, the El Paso Festival, and the Olympic Music Festival, among others. She has collaborated with Bruno Canino, Garrick Ohlsson, Nobuko Imai, Thomas Ades, and members of the Juilliard, Guarneri, Tokyo, Brentano, Borromeo, and Mendelssohn string quartets. She spends her summers performing and teaching chamber music with her husband Movses Pogossian and their three young and restless children Eddie, Cara, and Anoush at Apple Hill and Sebago Festivals. Since joining the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2004, Ms. Manouelian has frequently performed at Philharmonic's Chamber Music and Green Umbrella Series, as well as at Camerata Pacifica and Dilijan Series. Varty Manouelian holds degrees from the State Music Academy in Bulgaria and the Cleveland Institute of Music where she was a student of Donald Weilerstein. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an acclaimed arts institution as well as a beautiful multi-disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and to engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs. Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County s largest non-profit arts organization. In addition to its six performance venues, Segerstrom Center is also home to the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School, where students ages 3 14 are taught by acclaimed teachers utilizing the renowned ABT National Training Curriculum in studios utilized by the world s greatest dancers and choreographers. The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet

4 Dilijan Chamber Players NEWS 4/5 and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events. The Center s education programs are designed to inspire young people through the arts and reach hundreds of thousands of students each year. In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independently acclaimed organizations: Tony Award -winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region s major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

5 Dilijan Chamber Players NEWS 5/5 DILIJAN CHAMBER PLAYERS Segerstrom Center for the Arts Samueli Theater Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 8 p.m. Free Preview Talk by Taneyev scholar and cellist Armen Ksajikian will take place at 7:15 p.m. in Samueli Theater 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA Program: Rachmaninov: Trio Élégiaque No. 1 in G minor Shostakovich: Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp minor, Op. 108 Scriabin: Prelude in D-flat Major, Op.17, No.3 and Op. 59 No. 1 and No. 2 Taneyev: Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 30 Tickets - Start at $29 In person - The Box Office Online Town Center Drive Costa Mesa, CA Open 10 a.m. 6 p.m. daily SCFTA.org Phone - (714) Open 10 a.m. 6 p.m. daily TTY number - (714) Group Sales - (714) Information provided is accurate at the time of printing, but is subject to change. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a private, non-profit organization. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a registered trademark. # # #