Southern California Armenian community member Vonnie Madigan also shares why the music of Aram Khachaturian—and violinist Sergey Khachatryan—hold a special place in her heart. 

This weekend Sergey Khachatryan brings the abundantly catchy tunes and foot-tapping dance rhythms of Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto to life. The violinist and composer share the home country of Armenia. The mid-20th century Soviet composer Aram Khachaturian was deeply influenced by the high southern mountain range of the Caucasus. He also drew inspiration from his childhood in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, where he absorbed a huge love of the dazzling variety of wild folk dances of the region and the rich tradition of ancient exotic sounding folk melodies. 

Born in Yerevan, Armenia, Sergey Khachatrayan is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading violinists. Celebrated for his artistry and sensitivity, he performs regularly with the foremost conductors and orchestras worldwide. He has pointed to his Armenian roots as part of his musical identity, something he shares with Khachaturian, once saying “Khachaturian is really my composer. As an Armenian he is very near to me and in my blood. I feel so free because I understand the emotion, and that emotion has to be right to really connect with his work.” 

Khachatrayan further explained, “There are specific details from Armenian folk music in his works that are hard for a non-Armenian to understand. This is music that I feel deeply and that I really adore—especially the second movement.” 

With the announcement of the program, the San Diego Symphony has worked with Armenian organizations in the greater San Diego community.  

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Why I Love Aram Khachaturian and Sergey, too 
By Vonnie Madigan, a member of Southern California’s Armenian community 

I was raised in a home with music. Mornings were filled with Beatles tunes on the radio. Afternoons my homework was finished listening to new and old classical records on a turntable, and evenings began with my mother’s alto delivery of Blue Moon.

Sundays were best of all with the bent notes of the Armenian Church Liturgy and American jazz.

The instruments in the home were few: a used upright piano, an old goblet drum with a silver base called a dumberg (percussion instrument used in Armenian heritage music), and a mandolin we were not permitted to touch. We all took piano lessons. 

Eventually, my brother’s drum set with Zildjian symbols created the beat to my endless  household chores.  

The Fusion of East to West is My DNA. 

As a second-generation Fresno Armenian American, it has been music that has connected me to my ancestral homeland and my USA identity.

Long before the entry of World Music, there was no better musical ambassador than composer Aram Khachaturian. Celebrated by Armenians, Georgians, and Russians, he brought global recognition between Armenian folk music and Western Music. Armenian diverse melodies originated in the Western Asian Highlands in 3rd millennium BCE. The chants and secular music are not based on the European tonal system. 

His movie music was featured in Aliens, Hudsucker Proxy, The Blues Brothers and Kubrick’s 2001: Space Odessey. 

Our local Armenian American Community extends sincere gratitude to our San Diego Symphony Conductor Raphael Payare for programming Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto in D. I am doubly thrilled we have played a part in supporting award-winning violinist Sergey Khachtryan performances. He is truly the pride of Armenia. 

Get ready to experience high energy, technically demanding, fiery, romantic rhythms.

Get ready to experience the best of the East and the West.

Get ready for a Hye time. (Armenians call themselves Hyes. The name derived from Hayk, great grandson of Noah, the patriarch who defeated the Babylonian king Bel and led his people to freedom in the Armenian Highlands.) 

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Concert details

Rafael Payare, Sergey Khachatryan, and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra bring Khachaturian’s exuberant Violin Concerto and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9 to the Jacobs Music Center on Saturday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 11 at 2:00 p.m.

Join Jordan Kuspa, founding director of the Del Mar International Composers Symposium, for a pre-concert talk at the Jacobs Music Center from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday or from 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday—included with your concert ticket. He will introduce the audience to the repertoire for this concert.  

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