Pianist and Alum Kariné Poghosyan Honors Armenian Composer at The Soraya

  • Kariné Poghosyan plays a piano at The Soraya.

    Kariné Poghosyan '03 plays an Alumni Concert at The Soraya with a program that featured works by Armenia’s best-known composer, Aram Khachaturian. Photo by Luis Luque, Luque Photography.

  • Pianist Kariné Poghosyan is welcomed by the audience onstage at The Soraya. Photo by Luis Luque, Luque Photography.

  • The emotions in pianist Kariné Poghosyan's face are reflected in the instrument.

    Pianist Kariné Poghosyan performs at The Soraya. Photo by Luis Luque, Luque Photography.

  • The audience was seated onstage for Kariné Poghosyan's 2023 concert at The Soraya.

    The audience was seated onstage for Kariné Poghosyan's 2023 concert at The Soraya. Photo by Luis Luque, Luque Photography.

  • Suren Seropian, Felicia Conlan, Kariné Poghosyan and Thor Steingraber pose at a reception at The Soraya.

    Kariné Poghosyan mingled with Matadors at an after-show reception. Here, she visits with Suren Seropian '88, director of development for the CSUN College of Humanities; Felicia Conlan M.S. ’09, Ed.D. ’17, president of the CSUN Alumni Association; and Thor Steingraber, executive and artistic director of The Soraya. Photo by Luis Luque, Luque Photography.

  • Kariné Poghosyan poses on The Soraya stage with students and faculty members primarily from of CSUN's Armenian Studies program.

    After the show, Kariné Poghosyan (fourth from left) met with students from CSUN's Armenian Studies program as well as (to her right) Hasmig Baran M.A. '97, adjunct professor of Armenian Studies; Annette Besnilian '94, Ed.D. '13, director of CSUN's Marilyn Magaram Center for Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics; and Vahram Shemmassian, director of CSUN's Armenian Studies program. Photo by Luis Luque, Luque Photography.

Armenian American pianist Kariné Poghosyan ’03 (Music Keyboard/Piano Performance) returned to her alma mater March 8, honoring her heritage with an intimate performance of works by Armenia’s best-known composer, Aram Khachaturian, and surrounded by fans seated on The Soraya stage.

Poghosyan, who made her solo Carnegie Hall debut at age 23, is known for her stylistic flair and the emotions she uncovers in the works she performs. She recently performed two sold-out recitals at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, including a CD release concert of her “Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky” recording on Centaur Records.

The first half of her sold-out show at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian for the Performing Arts featured several of Khachaturian’s compositions, including two excerpts from his ballets and a rarely performed piano sonata. Poghosyan performed her own adaptation of his piece “Oror” — which means “Lullaby” — from his ballet “Gayaneh.” She also honored Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s 150th birthday with the 1931 rewritten version of his beloved “Piano Sonata No. 2.”

This was the first alumni concert hosted by the Younes and Soraya Center for Performing Arts since the COVID-19 related closure of the theater. Poghosyan’s performance was underwritten by Milt Valera ’68 (Journalism) and Debbie Valera, including support for tickets for students and alumni across campus.

At a reception after the show, Poghosyan met students and faculty from CSUN’s Armenian Studies program in the College of Humanities and members of the CSUN Armenian Alumni Association. The day before the performance, she also conducted a master class for piano students in the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication.

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