VAHRAM SARKISSIAN

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Vahram Sarkissian is best known for his choral and chamber works that have been widely performed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. His style represents a palette of multicultural creative initiatives influenced by numerous traditions and practices spanning from V century Armenian medieval chant to previously unreported endogenous vocal extended techniques.

Among performers of Sarkissian’s music are BBC Singers (UK), Little Singers of Armenia, Ensemble Transmission (Canada), Meitar Ensemble (Israel), Boston Choral Ensemble (USA), Ensemble Oktoplus (Germany) and many others. Commissioners of Sarkissian’s music are Norddeutscher Rundfunk (Germany), CBC Radio (Canada), Boston Choral Ensemble (USA), AGBU Foundation (USA), Oxford University Press (UK), Lark Musical Society (USA) just to mention a few. His honors include the winner award in the POLYPHONOS 2017 Commission Competition (USA 2016), the winner award in the Third BCE Commission Competition (USA, 2010); 1st prize in the International Con for New Choral Compositions (Croatia, 2009); the third prize in the Godfrey Ridout Awards from the SOCAN Foundation (Canada, 2012) and many others.

 

Canadian Streams

by Vahram Sarkissian

SATB a cappella – CP 1755 – duration 3:45
Canadian Streams is the composer’s first piece based on Canadian poetry, a poem written by the father of Canadian poetry, Charles G. D. Roberts. The creation of the piece was inspired by an important milestone – the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. The text, as well as the music, portray the countless spectacular Canadian rivers that were the “witnesses” and “storytellers” of the beautiful, and welcoming country’s history.