With Women, Sofya Melikyan introduces us to 3 female composers who seem marked by some historical design in which the momentous events of their countries of origin, and the magic of figures, have somehow crisscrossed and interwoven. As such, these three women represent countries that underwent tremendous upheavals a century ago.

Kaija Saariaho’s native Finland gained its independence in 1917, which was the same year and with almost the same historic circumstances that shattered the social foundations of Russia, Sofia Gubaidulina’s country of origin (although she was actually a Tatar), in that case resulting in the October Revolution of 1917.

The third composer, Geghuni Chitchyan’s country is Armenia, which achieved its first period of modern independence in early 1918, also as a result of the dramatic events that shook that part of the world in 1917. These three women are joined by a young Venezuelan, Raquel Quiaro, who settled in Spain over twenty years ago, and is one of Kaija Saariaho ‘s most outstanding pupils.

Sofya Melikyan, Piano