Note
to editors and news directors:
To request for a photo and/or interview with Varoujan
Nalbandian, call the Public Affairs Office at Cal State L.A., (323)
343-3050.
Violinist awarded a $1,500 subito boost
for
piano, wind composition
Premiere of ‘Black Forest Lullaby’ by
CSULA
grad student set for next year
Los Angeles, CA –
In a masterpiece composition for piano and
wind ensemble,
Cal State L.A.’s graduate student Varoujan Nalbandian
presents what he calls “a mystical journey of a child, traveling by
train through a forested landscape.”
Nalbandian’s piece, entitled
“Black Forest Lullaby,”
recently earned him a
$1,500 subito grant
from the American Composers Forum.
A
professional violinist, Nalbandian said he was encouraged to expand his
artistic vision by composing a piece for other instruments.
The
grant will support the return of renowned pianist Sarkis Baltaian, a
former CSULA faculty member, to Los Angeles from Alabama to premiere
Nalbandian’s work. The performance is planned for early next year.
Nalbandian, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration
from Cal State L.A., is working toward his Master of Music in
composition and studying under award-winning composer John M. Kennedy,
professor of music at Cal State L.A.
According to Kennedy, “Varoujan’s piece for piano and winds is an
explosive work for an exciting media. This indeed is a huge dual
accomplishment—having an artist of the caliber of Sarkis Baltaian
premiere the work, and this professional recognition from the American
Composers Forum.”
Nalbandian has performed professionally as a violinist in Romania since
he was 11, before immigrating to the U.S. and moving to California. He
is a graduate of Hollywood High School, and a resident of Echo Park in
Los Angeles.
Performing at different venues locally while studying at Cal State L.A.,
Nalbandian has toured with various artists, such as Harout Pamboukchian,
Jim Seal, Jerry Lee Lewis, and John Morris, throughout the Greater Los
Angeles community.
The
subito quick-advancement granting
program, with funding from the James Irvine Foundation,
is designed to give an immediate financial boost to composers and
performers of new music at a time when this help would have a
significant career-enhancing effect. The program is administered by the
San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of American Composers Forum, in
partnership with the American Composers Forum of Los Angeles.
Founded in 1973, the
American Composers Forum is committed to supporting composers and
developing new markets for their music. Through granting, commissioning,
and performance programs, the Forum provides composers at all stages of
their careers with valuable resources for professional and artistic
development.
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