Romantic melodies • Mustjala festival 2023

Friday, July 14, 2023 at 7 p.m. Loona manor, Saaremaa

Romantic melodies

Vadim Tchijik - violin
Armine Varvarian - piano 

Program: Pugnani-Kreisler, Dvorak, Bartok

Prize-winner of many prestigious international violin competitions such as N. Paganini Competition in Genoa, P.I.Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, R. Lipizer Competition in Gorizia; winner of International Competition in Portogruaro (Italy), Juventus Award (by the European Council), N. and L. Boulanger Foundation Award and Natexis Banque Populaire Foundation Award in Paris, O. and V. Ritter Foundation Award in Hamburg and G. Cziffra Foundation Award (France).

Born in November 1975, he started to study the violin at the age of six and gave his first concert when he was only eight. He finished the famous Tchaikovsky Central Music School in Moscow for the gifted children, First Prize unanimously at the National Superior Conservatory of Music in Lyon, then he completed his post-graduate studies at the High Conservatory of Music in Cologne, Artist Certificate at the Southern Methodist University Meadows School of Arts in Dallas, Chigiana Music Academy in Siena and always obtained the highest honours.
Among his teachers were Boris Belkin, Ivry Gitlis, Edouard Schmieder, Herman Krebbers, Mihaela Martin and Irina Botchkova.

He has performed with Moscow Symphony Orchestra, North Nederland Symphony Orchestra, Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Kharkov Philharmonic, Orchestra di Teatro di Genova, Sanremo Symphony Orchestra, Freiburg Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Ulianovsk Philharmonic, Gunma Chamber Orchestra, Vasteras Sinfonietta, Camerata of Coahuila, Musica Vitae Chamber Orchestra, Basse-Normandie, Garde Républicaine, Yaroslavl Philharmonic, Akademik Baskent (Ankara), Kazakhstan Chamber Orchestra, Plano Symphony Orchestra and many others, conducted by Michel Tabachnik, Jean-Pierre Wallez, Jean Deroyer, Anton Nanut, Peter Csaba, Paolo Peloso, Enrique Batiz, Naoto Otomo etc.

Vadim Tchijik gives recitals in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, England, Switzerland, Holland, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Sweden, Russia, USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Turkey, Bulgaria, Poland, Israel, Lebanon, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Dominican Republic, Haiti and other countries all over the world. He plays in the biggest halls as : Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Theatre du Châtelet, Salle Gaveau in Paris, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Residenz in Munich, Arsenal in Metz, Corum in Montpellier, Concertgebow in Amsterdam, Dvorak Hall in Prague, Big Hall of Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscou, Suntory Hall and Hamarikyu Asahi Hall in Tokyo, Philharmonie in Cologne and Konzerthaus in Freiburg, Palace of Culture in Sofia, Philharmonie in Kiev, Del Prado Museum in Madrid, Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico…

He is very often invited to participate in prestigious music festivals among which Festival Radio France and Montpellier, Pablo Casals, Auvers sur Oise, Colmar, Nancyphonies, Guebwiller, Quimper, Royan, Festival of St-Riquier, Fetes Romantique de Nohant, Semaines Musicales de Tours, Music Festival des Grands Crus de Bourgogne, Japan Music festival, Okayama Music Festival, Young Artists Festival in Los Angeles, Festival of Guil-Durance, Music Art Festival in Grenoble, International Festival in Portogruaro, Settimane Musicale di Ravello, Salon of the Arts in Sofia, Felicja Blumental Festival in Tel Aviv, Euro Musica Vitae Festival in Sweden, 5 de Mayo in Puebla, Juventus and Salon Musicora in Paris.

He performs in various radio and TV broadcasts in many countries (France Musique, Radio Classique, NHK, France 3, Mezzo, RAI, Japanese, Russian, Swedish television) and his concerts were broadcasted all over the Europe, USA and Asia. He recorded several CD’s for Lyrinx (“Recommandé” by Classica Magazine, “Coup de Coeur” by Piano Magazine), Exton (“One of the best CD’s of the Month” by The Record Geijutsu (Japan), Polymnie and DOCdata Benelux labels. In 2006 he participates in Japan at the recording of a series of CD dedicated to the 250th Mozart Anniversary.

He played chamber music with Pieter Wispelwey, Emmanuel Pahud, Jean-Claude Pennetier, Marielle Nordmann, Georges Pludermacher, Philippe Bernold, David Geringas, Anne Queffelec, Alain Meunier, Cedric Tiberghien, Marc Coppey, Bernard Soustrot, Michel Arignon, Alexander Melnikov, Alban Gerhardt, Michel Lethiec, Dominique De Williencourt, François Salque, Thierry Caëns, Yves Henry etc. His concerts always receive highest acclamations by critics.

In 2004, the famous French magazine “Diapason” dedicates one page to Vadim Tchijik entitled “Already Maestro” and in 2010, he is on the cover of the famous "String" Magazine with an exclusive interview of six pages.

He is Artistic Director of the International Music Festival in Hyères, "Les Musicales de Saint-Martin" and "Les Heures Musicales de Binic" Music Festivals in France.

Vadim Tchijik gives master-classes in Europe, in South America and in Asia and also edited the violin part of music by Saint-Saens, Ravel and Franck for "Zen On" music edition in Japan. 

Founder and director of the string ensemble "Les Virtuoses", he is playing a Ferdinando Gagliano violin made in Naples in 1775.

Armine GASPARIAN -VARVARIAN began her studies at the Central Musical School of Erevan (Armenia), with Zemfira Barseghian, a professor of the Igoumnov School. At the age of sixteen, she entered the Superior Conservatory Conservatoire of Music in Erevan in the class of the same piano professor, where she studied Chamber Music, Harmony and Accompaniment.

In 1974, she entered the CNR of Marseille (National and Regional Conservatory) in the class of Pierre Barbizet and was awarded the Gold Medal. The same year, she entered the CNSM of Paris (National and Superior Conservatory of Music) in the class of Dominique Merlet and received a several first prizes and diplomas. She is, in particular, a laureate of Diplôme de Mérite at the Palma d’Oro International Competition (Final Ligure in Italy) and finalist of the Vercelli Competition (Italy).

Throughout her musical student career, she has worked with many famous piano professors as Pierre Barbizet, Jeannine Vieuxtemps, Dominique Merlet, Aquiles Delle Vigne, Eléna Varvarova, Michael Rudy. She also worked with Geneviève Joy at chamber music, Jacqueline Robin at sight reading and Alain Margoni and Jacques Castérède at musical analysis.

In 1981, she obtained the CA Degree (Certificat d’Aptitude) which allowed her to be a permanent professor at the Musical Conservatory of the city of Paris (XV district). Moreover, in 2008, she cofounded with Geneviève Ibanez, the Musical Contemporary Week-end, which occurs in the conservatories of Paris.

In addition, she is often invited to teach at Summer Academies of Music: Musiques en Tête at Flaine, International Academy of Music and Dance at Mende (Lorèze Region). She regularly participates as a jury member at different national and international competitions.

Complementary to her work as a piano professor, she performs as a concert soloist and also in chamber music with several famous artists: Laurent Korcia, Dominique de Williencourt, Brigitte Fossey, Quatuor Elysée, François Salque, Amanda Favier, Vadim Tchijik, Hae Sun Kang, Béata Halska, Sergeï Kalinine.

She has been invited to perform in many concerts and festivals throughout France and Europe:

In Paris : Salle Cortot, Théâtre Sylvia Montfort, Institut des Jeunes Aveugles, Cité des Arts, Radio program of France Musique (En Blanc et Noir),

In France : Festival de l’Orangerie de Sceaux, Festival du Vexin, Festival International de Musique d’Hyères, Festival Automne à Taverny, Château de Champs-sur-Marne,  Marseille, Lyon, Flaine, Salon la Tour, Royant, Montpellier, Bourges, in Normandy (Chaise-Dieu du-Theil, Verneuil sur Avre, Tillières, St Christophe)

·         In Europe : St Père des Rhodes  and Girone (Spain), Bruxelles (Belgium)

Finally, in 2008 she founded the International Festival of Music L’Eure Poétique et Musicale, which occurs in Normandy Region and of which she is the Artistic Director. She is also Artistic Dierctor of the Automne Musical de Taverny Festival.

"Her piano technic is stunning in the Waldstein Sonate of Beethoven which also supposes a touch of lyricism from the solist. Amine Gasparian's interpretation has simply won over the audience" 

"Armine Gasparian's solist interpretation of  Olivier Messien's piece has highlighted, one more time, her impressive skills of adaptation, allowing her to play any music composers from the Alborada del Graciozo of  Maurice Ravel to the Méphisto-Valse of Liszt. Her performnce was excellent"   

"An exemplary elusive pianistic touch"