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A concert hails 70th birthday of Artin Potourlyan

The celebration concert at the National Music Academy
Photo: Albena Bezovska
In spite of all sorts of political, economic and social cataclysms in Bulgarian history there have always been talented people who have adamantly withheld their creative and professional positions. One of them is no doubt composer Artin Potourlyan. A few days ago, the National Music Academy where he is a professor, organized a concert to celebrate his 70th birthday. Works from various creative periods of Artin Potourlyan were performed by famous musicians including Prof. Alexander Ilchev (violin), Prof. Lidia Oshavkova (flute), soprano Rositsa Panayotova, the pianists Diana Rahneva, Galina Apostolova and others. We also listened to Anaida Akopyan, a piano pedagogue and wife of the composer.

© Photo: archive

After graduating in composition from the Pancho Vladigerov National Music Academy in Sofia, Artin Potourlyan continued his studies at the Conservatory in Yerevan. Since 1990 he has been lecturing in polyphony at the NMA in Sofia. He has authored an opera, orchestral works, piano works etc.
“Every sound carries a message that is very important. Everything is very complex, but listeners accept it based on intuition. Vibration is energy directly linked to the nature of the materials that music instruments are made of, and to the nature of the performer. This matter can be organized in various ways but it is paramount for me that every sound should carry a message”, Prof. Potourlyan argues. His sensitivity to a range of timbres and the freedom with which he merges contemporary and classical music techniques of composition mark his individual style. We can spot this style in The Song of the Chepelare Rooster in the wonderful rendition of Gergana Ilcheva and in Four Spiritual Chants for pipe organ interpreted with brilliance by Velin Iliev.

English version: Daniela Konstantinova
По публикацията работи: Albena Bezovska


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