Audience members held their breaths and gazed in wonder at Violinist Ani Bayramyan ‘24 as her music reverberated throughout the Timken Room of Graves Hall. Playing J.S. Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins.
Last Saturday evening, Bayramyan kicked off this year’s senior recital series. Featuring two baroque pieces and a contemporary work, she showcased her virtuosic flair and ability to interpret and perform contrasting music styles. Bayramyan elaborated on how she started structuring and developing music for her recital in the winter.
“I wanted to have a mix, a variety of pieces in [the program]. I ended up playing two Bach [compositions] …because I love Bach… Other than that… I played an Armenian piece because I am from Armenia… I wanted to have some solos and represent my country, but also have a collaborative piece with my teacher. The collaboration was probably the biggest part because I wanted to make his final performance… a special moment for him and to showcase that even though you may stop being a [music] teacher, learning never stops and you can always share music with others,” said Bayramyan.
While the recital itself was only 30 minutes long, Bayramyan’s preparation process started a few months prior. Not only did she have to master several difficult solo pieces all by herself, but her high regard for this opportunity gave her a desire to perfect every aspect. She commented on the aspects of her performance that she found most challenging.
“The biggest challenge is always just being nervous because I always wanted to showcase all the skills but also make a special moment for my teacher so it was a little bit nerve wracking. But I feel like that is always with performances. It was more of a fun process; it was a bit time consuming, but other than that, there were not that many big challenges,” said Bayramyan.
According to audience member Anabaah Nelson ’24, Bayramyan’s recital was both an amalgamation of her passion for the violin and also a heartwarming celebration of her music career here at Andover. Nelson described her overall feelings towards the event and highlighted the hard work that went into the performance.
“I was really looking forward to seeing my friend playing. I knew she put a lot of time and effort into practicing… My favorite part of the performance was when she brought out her teacher. I didn’t really know him very well but [I got to see] their relationship on stage and how well they played with each other. It was good to be celebrating the career and legacy of someone who taught at Andover for around 40 years. That was a pretty cool experience,” said Nelson.
In the seven years leading up to Bayraymyan’s arrival at Andover, she dedicated herself to solo performances and music only. However, once she joined the Andover community, Bayramyan expanded her repertoire. She took part in both the Symphony and Chamber orchestras. She explained how these ensemble experiences shaped her conception of music.
“All these experiences shape[d] me more than just as a soloist but also as being part of a group. [I learned about] how you need to balance your sounds so that you don’t overpower anybody, [as well as] how you fit into a group… I decided to explore this new side of music through group work,” said Bayramyan.
