Musical Performance: Ara Dinkjian & Friends - An Armenian in New York
Fri, April 30, 2010 8:30 pm at Alwan for the Arts
(View all musical performances »)
featuring
Ara Dinkjian - oud
with
Tamer PınarbaÅı - kanun
Ismail Lumanovski - clarinet
Seido Salifoski - percussion
With an ensemble made up of New York's most renown virtuosos, Ara Dinkjian presents a program taken
from his most recent CDs, An Armenian In America and Peace On Earth, featuring Ara's own compositions
as well as traditional masterpieces from the Middle East.
Tickets: $20, available at the door or online here. (A surcharge applies, use printout as your ticket).
$15 student admission is available at the door only (with valid I.D.). Doors open at 8:00 p.m.
Listen to Ara and his ensemble perform "Dele Yaman" and "Peace on Earth"
About the musicians
Ara Dinkjian is an Armenian born in the United States in 1958. His earliest professional musical
experience was accompanying his father Onnik Dinkjian, a renowned Armenian folk and liturgical singer.
Ara learned several western and eastern instruments (piano, guitar, darbuka, clarinet) and in 1980
graduated from the Hartt College of Music, earning the countryâs first and only special degree in the
instrument for which he has become most well-known, the oud. For the past 35 years, he has continued
his post as organist in the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Throughout his musical life, Ara has continued to develop his highly personal compositional style which
blends his eastern and western roots. In 1985, to help realize these compositions and musical concepts,
Ara formed his instrumental quartet, Night Ark, which recorded four CDs for RCA/BMG and
Universal/PolyGram. Night Arkâs recordings and concert tours were highly influential for musicians and
music lovers throughout the world because they demonstrated how music can move forward while still
retaining the dignity and soul of oneâs culture. These compositions have had a universal appeal; his songs
have been recorded by world famous instrumentalists and singers in thirteen different languages,
demonstrating that music does indeed unite people and cultures. His hit song âDinata, Dinataâ was
performed at the closing ceremonies of the 2004 Athens Olympics. Many of his compositions have
appeared in movie and television soundtracks.
Ara is also considered one of the best oud players in the world, with a very personal style that emphasizes
his uniquely beautiful tone. He has appeared throughout the world on concert stages, oud festivals,
seminars, and master classes. His latest CDs, An Armenian In America, Voice Of Armenians, and Peace On
Earth were recorded live at the 2005, 2006, and 2007 Jerusalem International Oud Festivals. He continues
to compose, perform, record, and teach, while creating his own unique musical landscape.
Tamer Pinarbasi was born in Karaman, Turkey in 1970. He attended the Istanbul Technical University
State Conservatory of Turkish Music, where he developed his own technique for playing the kanun (zither).
Instead of using msrabs (plectrums) on each pointer finger, he plays with his fingernails, a technique
which allows him to use all ten of his fingers while playing. Combining this technique with his knowledge
of makam (Turkish modal system) and western harmony, Mr. Pinarbasi has become one of the worldâs
greatest kanun virtuosos. He has appeared on literally hundreds of recordings with the top singers of
Turkey, and has performed solo concerts throughout Europe. Over the past few years, he has been a
featured instrumentalist and composer in the New York Gypsy Allstars Band, which also features clarinetist
Ismail Lumanovski.
The young, award-winning Macedonian clarinetist Ismail Lumanovski has enchanted audiences with his
enthusiasm and virtuosity, combining the spirit of folk music with the discipline of classical music. Born in
Bitola, Macedonia, he started playing the clarinet at age nine, attending primary school and high school in
his city of birth. His first appearance as a soloist was with the Macedonian Philharmonic at the age of 13,
playing the Weber Concertino, with his U.S. debut taking place in 2002 in a performance of Weberâs First
Clarinet Concerto with The World Symphony Orchestra in Interlochen, Michigan. To date, one of his career
highlights is the New York debut in 2008 of the Elliot Carter Clarinet Concerto with musicians from The
New Julliard Ensemble and Lucerne Festival Academy with Maestro Pierre Boulez conducting.
Mr. Lumanovski is the winner of numerous competitions, including 1st prize of the 23rd, 24th, and 25th
Clarinet Competition of Macedonia, The Julliard Clarinet Concerto Competition, the International Young
Artist Competition in Bulgaria, the National Folk Music Competition in Macedonia, and 2nd prize in the
Andreas Makris Clarinet Competition in Colorado. In addition, He received the âFine Arts Awardâ twice at
the Interlochen Arts Academy. He is a lead performer with the New York Gypsy All-Stars, playing to sold-
out audiences in New York and across the country. Mr. Lumanovski earned a Bachelor of Music Degree
from The Julliard School and is currently a Masters degree student of Charles Neidich and Ayako Oshima.
A Roma born to a singer mother and a folk dancer father in Prilep, Macedonia, Seido Salifoski has played
darbuka/dumbek in Balkan and Middle Eastern style for 30 years. With his extensive experience playing
Turkish, Greek, Balkan, and Middle Eastern percussion combined with a flair of jazz from studying at
Berklee College of Music in Boston, his unique virtuosity has set him apart from the pack worldwide. After
frequently playing music in the now-legendary closed Middle Eastern nightclubs such as Ali Baba and Port
Said in Manhattan, Seido started truly developing and augmenting the style of dumbek playing with his
unique approach. In the early 90's, he joined forces with Matt Dariau, as a member of highly influential
Matt Dariau's Paradox Trio. Paradox Trio spearheaded the downtown New York Balkan Jazz movement,
catapulting Seido into a household name in the genre, with his unique virtuosic darbuka/dumbek style
that seamlessly combined jazz and Balkan technique.
Seido has played with such notable artists as Tarkan, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, and Ivo Papazov. He also
accompanied Tayyar Akdeniz and his dance troupe, while traveling to teach at several Balkan and Turkish
music and dance camps on both coasts, such as EEFC Balkan Music & Dance Workshops (CA & MA/NY), and
Middle Eastern Music and Dance Camp (PA). Balkan Brothers, the collaboration with his life-long friend,
Ismail Butera, continues in local nightclubs and concert halls, as well as his own ensemble, Romski Boji.
Without the usual musical limitations, Seido continues to work with, and experience, groups and artists in
different musical genres, such as, Zlatne Uste, Yuri Yunakov, Hassan Issukut, Anahid Sofian Dance
Company, and Ken Butler. When not touring Europe and the U.S. with Paradox Trio, he teaches
darbuka/dumbek privately and offers full day workshops several times a year to an avid coterie of
aficionados. With great respect, he counts Buddy Rich and Sami Zekirovski (better known as Buco) as a
major influence in his musical life.
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