Armenian Rhapsody (Clarinet Piece no. 1)

When I first moved to NYC in 2017, I reconnected with my Armenian roots (my grandfather was Armenian) through the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU). They introduced me to the Armenian community and I quickly began to learn about the music and culture, eventually traveling to Armenia to study in AGBU’s summer program. The organization has a yearly concert at Carnegie Hall, and I wrote a piece for the 2017 edition. My piece was initially for solo piano, but I have since reworked it for piano and clarinet. It uses a melody known as “Shalakho” (traditional dance) and “Soorp, Soorp” (Christian hymn), as well as my own melodies. I recorded this with an incredibly gifted clarinetist, Emmalie Tello.