Armenian Fingerprints

Mariam Kharatyan

"Armenian Fingerprints - interpreting the piano music of Komitas and Khachaturian in light of Armenian folk music" is an artistic research project by pianist Mariam Kharatyan, at the University of Agder and the Norwegian Artistic Research Programme, during 2015-2019. Mariam Kharatyan is an Armenian classical pianist. Throughout this project she has been focused on the interpretation of classical piano music from the performer's perspective, aimed to find her own way of interpreting several major piano compositions written by the Armenian composers Komitas (1869-1935) and Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978). Approaching the interpretation strongly inspired from Armenian folk music, she has explored in-depth the impact of the interplay between classical and folk music in her playing, and what interpretational possibilities might emerge in piano works of Komitas and Khachaturian when listening to Armenian folk music and responding to it through musical expression in classical pianism. This exposition is the reflection of the project, on artistic processes, choices, and results.