Interview with soloist Nariné Dellalian, violinist of the National Symphonic Orchestra of Portugal


Interview with soloist Nariné Dellalian, violinist of the National Symphonic Orchestra of Portugal

  • 07-06-2013 17:42:26   |   |  Culture


	
By Arthur Ghukasian
-You are the daughter of the talented Armenian composer Harutyun Dellalian. How much do you attribute choosing art as your profession to your father? What role did your family play in your being so dedication to classical music? 
When my sister was born, my father took her hands and slid them on the piano keys, and when my sister grew up, she became a pianist. When I was born, my father took my little hand out of the bundle and put a violin bow in it. When I grew up and started to understand the world around me, it was more than clear that I was going to be a violinist.  It was my father's dream that he saw come true through us, without even thinking that after not too long, he himself was going to become one of the pillars of modern Armenian music.
No doubt, my family played a big role in forming my and my sister's personalities. I still remember the amazing people who used to get together at our place; artists, writers, painters… I remember their conversations and discussions that left their mark on our tender souls and on how we perceived this world.
I'm proud of the family name that I carry, which - thanks to my dad - means will, faith, and freedom to make any dream come true. Because of his unique talent, his beautiful Armenian compositions further enriched the spiritual treasury of humanity. 
-The readers do not know that besides being composer Dellalian's daughter, you are also the beloved and well known Hayrik Muratyan's daughter-in-law. What are your greatest memories of him that you'd like to share? 
I'm lucky to have known and lived with the great Hayrik. He was a great Armenian, thanks to him and his likes, our nation has survived. It's been years since he was last with us, but I keep on learning from him. I know for sure how he would have reacted to this or that situation. The invaluable legacy he left in discovering and preserving the national song, formed a new kind of generation and a new mentality, and today, he still inspires the real national song devotees. 
When he was living with us for a while in Portugal, he called us one day and told us that it was time for him to go back to his homeland, because he was in need of his people and he had to be next to them… This is the kind of pure person he was. 
-Your grandmother used to have a beautiful voice, your father also chose the same path for himself, so did you and your sister. Your husband is famous for his classical performances and your son has also had the same kind of education… Do you believe that it is in the family genes?
No doubt music was passed down to me genetically, and I'm thankful to my parents for that. Because of my father's genes and my mum's selfless efforts I was able to enter the beautiful world of classical music. Music has become a tangible presence and a way of life. 
Because of my husband's - cellist Levon Muratyan's family, the presence of music was even more reinforced in my own family. Both my sister's and my two children have a musical education.
When I look back at my life now, I see that it's full of great moments and feelings that only such a sublime art can grant you.
-What about your personal achievements so far? What about your future plans?
Twenty three years ago we moved to Portugal upon a business invitation by the Gulbenkian Foundation. Levon, who has won several international prizes and because of his reputation as a performer, keeps on tutoring, he is also a soloist in the Gulbenkian Orchestra. I play with the National Symphonic Orchestra of Portugal. My sister Marina is also a tutor and performs in various concerts.      During all these years, we kept on going back to Armenia and took part in different concerts.
It's great that we have our own trio. It's an honor and pleasure to play with such high-quality musicians as Levon and Marina. Our trio has performed in many festivals around Portugal, as well as in other countries around Europe and the United States.
During our concerts, we present different programs, including compositions by Armenian composers. It's our way to present our culture to the world. Recently a new CD was released by Levon and pianist Hayk Melikyan, which includes compositions by four Armenian composers, Harutyun Dellalian, Tigran Mansouryan, Karen Khachatryan and Avet Terteryan. 
I'm happy to announce that recently, one more member was included in our trio. Our son Harutyun joined us, who despite his young age, has a rich path full of successes. The most important of our upcoming events is participating in the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. This will enable us to remind the world of the atrocities that were perpetrated against our nation. We need to prove - through work - that we existed, we still are and will always be.
-Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
Life is such a beautiful gift from God. We should live in this world and leave one day with a sense of fulfilling our mission. Sometimes we should look at the sky, where everything is perfect and clear, and whenever we feel that something is wrong down here, we should try and change it and bring it a bit closer to the sky.
 

 

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