Isabel Bayrakdarian: Ancestral Songs, Prayers, and Lullabies

The Armenian Canadian soprano gives new life to beloved children’s songs, lullabies, and prayers that have been passed down generation after generation from her homeland, accompanied by live drawing by  Kevork Mourad – a collaboration in which art and music harmonize with one another.

Isabel Bayrakdarian is renowned across opera houses and concert halls the world over for her strikingly multihued voice, presence, and style. She has been applauded for opera performances in Chicago, Dresden, London, Milan, New York, Paris, Salzburg, San Francisco, and Toronto, and is celebrated as well for her work in remoter operas of the repertory, such as Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini and Bolcom's A View from the Bridge, in which she made her Metropolitan Opera debut. She has sung on the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack of the blockbuster film The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, and her voice can also be heard in the multiple award-winning Canadian film Ararat.

Kevork Mourad employs his technique of live drawing and animation in concert with musicians – collaborators include Yo-Yo Ma, Kim Kashkashian, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Brooklyn Rider, The Knights, Perspectives Ensemble, Paola Prestini, and Kinan Azmeh, and he has performed in many institutions, including The Aga Khan Museum (Toronto), The Art Institute of Chicago, The American Museum of Natural History, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Bronx Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, ElbPhilharmonie (Germany), Rhode Island School of Design, Nara Museum (Japan), Lincoln Center Atrium, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Walt Disney Concert Hall.
 

Program

 

Part II: Komitas Vartabed - Playsongs and Lullabies (arr. Artur Avanesov)

Six Children’s Songs / Վեց Խաղերգեր
     Five Lullaby Fragments / Հինգ Օրօրօցային Երգեր
     Sleep My Child – Lullaby / Քուն Եղիր Պալաս
     You Are Beautiful – Lullaby from Agn / Ակնայ Օրօր

Dream / Երազ
    Song of the Partridge / Կաքաւի Երգը

 

Part III:  Parsegh Ganachian - Playsongs and Lullabies from the Diaspora (arr. Ellie Choate)

Bjingo / Պճինկօ
     Nocturne / Խաղաղ Գիշեր Է
     Sleep My Child – Lullaby / Քուն Եղիր Պալաս

 

       Traditional Children’s Songs (arr. John Hodian)

Come, My Nightingale – Popular Lullaby / Արի, Իմ Սոխակ
     Bouncing Song – from Ani / Երեխայ Թռցնելու Երգ
     Rocking Song – Lullaby from Ani / Օրօրա՜

 

Part IV: Mihran Tumajan - Playsongs and Lullabies from Historical Armenia (arr. John Hodian)

Swinging Song – Lullaby from Bithynia-Bardizag / Օրիմ, Օրիմ
    I Sing To You – Lullaby from Dikranagerd / Նեննի Ըսիմ
     Bouncing Song – from Gesaria / Պար-պար Կենեմ
     Two Playsongs – from Agn / Օր Պար...Հէ՜յ, Պար Գնա
     Two Lullabies – from Agn / Աղուոր Ես...Օրօր
     The Scarecrow – from Kharpert / Ալլապիտիկ
     Four Children’s Songs – from Van / Չորս Խաղերգեր

Program Notes

Please join us! This concert is preceded by a short performance by talented students of The Royal Conservatory. Prelude Recital starts at 7:00pm.


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