Grigor Arakelian: The Gem Rose - Produced by the Naregatsi Art Institute

Grigor Arakelian’s CD album “The Gem Rose” was released in 2014. It was prepared to publication by Naregatsi Art Institute. It includes arrangements of Armenian medieval spiritual music and rustic songs arranged by Komitas.

Grigor Arakelian has created a lot of arrangements and compositions for choir, folk and classical instruments while composing music solely derived from musical thinking of Komitas and guided by the old Armenian musical system.

In 1993, with the help of luthier Martin Yeritsian he created a new type of Armenian kemani: the tav kemani or Armenian viola, which has a unique sounding typical to Armenian spiritual music.This musical instrument has been used on many stages of the world to present such gems of our medieval music as the arrangements of Narekatsi’s “The Gem Rose” (“Gohar Vardn”) and “Eyes like the Sea” (“Atchken Tzov”) taghs, Mashtots’ Repentance Psalms, etc.

In 2005 he directed Oshakan St. Mesrop Mashtots Church Choir, based on which the medieval Armenian music "Oshakan" ensemble was founded on the recommendation of the French Armenian producer Rozhe Piranyan, which gained popularity among the ancient music lovers of Europe, having outstanding performances in Paris “Radio France”, in Monaco Central Cathedral, and at the opening of Marseilles “La Majeur” Cathedral.

He has also founded the "Oshakan" Trio (voice, qanun and Armenian viola), which participated in the well-known Quebec Festival of Sacred Music with the repertoire “The Paradise Garden of Armenia” (Les Jardins de Paradis d'Armènie), in the baroque music festivals of Thoronet and Pontoise in France and on many other well-known stages.

On September 21, 2013 he presented "Komitas and Medieval Armenian Music" program in Montreal with the famous Canadian VivaVoce choir, introducing himself as a composer and soloist.

The informative booklet in Armenian and English is enclosed to the CD.