Armenian composer Alexander Arutiunian is little known in the Western world, aside from one trumpet concerto that is part of the standard repertoire for that instrument. But as Fred Sienkiewicz found, Arutiunian occupied a role in the Soviet bloc not unlike that of Leonard Bernstein in America: a leading classical composer and conductor who also crossed over into popular genres of instrumental music. Sienkiewicz is currently writing on a doctoral dissertation that will be the first English-language account of Arutiunian’s life and work. He brought two trumpets and a flugelhorn to Studio C to give us a taste of the beautiful and melodic music of the composer that is so rarely heard here.

Set list:

Concerto for trumpet (1950)

• Introduction &  Main Theme

Impromptu (1941)

Cantata on the Homeland (1949)

• Lullaby

Caravan (1956)

Vocalise (1964)

Concert Scherzo (1955)