Goolkasian Rahbee’s Works to Be Performed in London

On Sat., Feb. 5, a concert of works for two pianos by the prolific Armenian American composer Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee will be presented in London, at 6:30 p.m., at the Schott Music Hall, 48 Great Marlborough St.

Coming together to perform these works—first in Portugal at the University of Aveira and then in London at the Schott Piano Shop—are Diane Andersen, the president of the European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA) Belgium, and  Nancy Lee Harper, the president of EPTA Portugal, are coming together to perform. The artists are hoping to record Goolkasian Rahbee’s works on a CD, if able to secure sufficient funding, out of their desire to make her music available to the listening public.

Goolkasian Rahbee will talk about her work the concert. The program will include the following works: “Mosaic”  Op.26 (1992);  Three Preludes Op.68a  (1994); Little Suite Op.72  (1995); Rhapsodie Op.80a “Urartu”  (2001); Tango Op.126b (2008); Triptych Op.114  (2001); 10+10 Op.48  (1991); Portrait Op.189  “Carola Grindea” 2010; “Odyssey” Op.148  (2006); and Toccata  Op.118 (2002).

Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee, the daughter of a 1915 Armenian Genocide survivor, is an internationally acclaimed  composer who, until recently, had been little known within the Armenian community though her music has been performed in more than 22 countries, including in England, France, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Hungary, the U.S., Canada, Japan, and China.

Over her lifetime, teaching and working in the Greater Boston community, she has produced one of the most significant repertoires of contemporary piano music available today. The range of her work, from simple teaching pieces, to more challenging solo piano works, ensemble compositions, and symphonic works is impressive. Her music engages the listener on many levels, especially her use of strong, intricate rhythms and beautiful melodies reminiscent of her Armenian heritage. She attributes what we see as a unique musical language to having been raised in a household where Armenian was the only language spoken and Armenian music a part of everyday life.

In 2008, Diane Andersen performed the world premiere of Goolkasian Rahbee’s Piano Concerto Op.134 and Urartu Rhapsodie at the Aram Khatchaturian Concert Hall in Yerevan with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of David Alexander Rahbee, the composer’s son. And in 2010, marking another milestone within the Armenian community, the Armenian International Women’s Association (AIWA) sponsored a concert of her music in Boston, which was performed by several prominent Armenian artists.

To reserve seats for the concert, or for more information on the production of the CD, email Dr. Nancy Lee Harper at nancy.leeharper@gmail.com.