Kariné Poghosyan, pianist

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music and who or what have been the most important influences on your musical life and career?

Choosing to be a musician was so intuitive and instinctive that one can almost argue it was not a choice at all. I know that no one around pushed to pursue it professionally. I was given piano lessons as most respectable young ladies in Armenia are, so I can sit at the piano looking pretty and play a sweet little ditty at family gatherings and such. No one in my family anticipated the musician, the pianist, the woman I would possibly become. In a way, becoming a concert pianist was not even a choice – there simply was no other option! It was simply beyond me – the world of music was pulling me in and I just gave in.

Why do you perform?

I believe something truly extraordinary happens during a live concert! On the surface, it all may seem so trivial, just some waves and vibrations that pass through the air and disappear! There is no hard copy of a painting or a book to hold on to! Just an hour or so and it is all over! And so why do it? Really what is the point of doing something that will flee away before you know it? Well, I do it because when I play, when those fleeting vibrations and waves come out from under my fingers and into the big golden belly of the magic beast that is the piano and flow out to my listeners, I know to my core they carry a miraculous power — an actual energy source — through them! They can not only uplift but transform everyone present! Though invisible, they carry a palpable magic balm to the soul that heals and invigorates. I am convinced that music is one of the superpowers that has kept our world alive amidst so much struggle. It genuinely makes the world a better place, and I play to keep it that way for as long as I shall live!

What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?

There are so many! The toughest of all is that it really is a lonely journey. You can be surrounded by the most loving nurturing family and friends, and yet as a solo artist, only you know what must be done and how much of it there is still to be done! It feels quite daunting, so the single biggest priority of all artists I feel should always be to work on their mental game – to journal, to meditate and exercise, to spend time reflecting and working on their intentionality and specificity of what it is they are working toward. That mental discipline is not easy to attain and maintain but like a good athlete, we must work on it daily.

Which performances/recordings are you most proud of?

I am so grateful to say all three of my albums are so deeply meaningful to me – I put my all into making them and I am so proud of them! I am also incredibly proud of producing, curating and performing my own monthly recital broadcasts on my Patreon! I started these monthly series in 2021, performing an entirely new different hour-long program on the last Sunday each month. At first it was a humble production from my own NYC apartment, broadcasting on Zoom using my laptop and simple blue yeti mic. Now I am grateful to say the series has grown, generating so much support and interest that I have not only opened the doors to a small intimate in-person audience, in addition to the virtual one on zoom, but we have upgraded these events to full scale multi-camera productions.

Which particular works/composers do you think you perform best?

I feel like a bit of a kid in a candy store when it comes to music in general – it all appeals to me and I am drawn to constantly learn new composers, new works, to stretch myself as much as I can. Having said that, the period of music that I feel is my true “happy place” is the mid- late 19th Romantic style, works of Liszt, de Falla, Rachmaninoff, as well as some of the 20th century masters such as Stravinsky, Gershwin, and of course Khachaturian.

How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?

I have a few criteria I push myself to meet:

1. It has to be something that challenges me artistically and technically

2. It has to be music I feel deeply connected to and just have such fun playing

3. It is music that means something to my listener – it has a certain theme, message, or I feel would convey an energy of joy or something of value to them.

Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in and why?

There are a great many, but without a doubt, the most special of all is Carnegie Hall. It is a place that has a soul of its own that lifts you as a performer to a whole new sphere of creativity.

What do you do off stage that provides inspiration on stage?

I am a firm believer in working as hard away from the piano as I work at the piano, pushing myself to grow in other ways, to work on my mental and physical states, to journal and log my progress. As for my preparation of a specific work, I always approach it the way an actor approaches a film script. I dig as much as I possibly can into the story of the composer — his letters, various biographical details, other works written at the same time as that given work. It is my goal to make certain that by the time I come on stage to bring this piece to life, I have looked at it from every angle and not only mastered its technical demands, but that I also am clear on the message that this piece conveys to the audience. Every single piece carries a message to the listener and I have responsibility as the performer to make sure that message is conveyed in the most convincing and powerful way possible.

What is your most memorable concert experience?

It’s truly difficult to choose just one – I feel such happiness and joy when I am on stage that each and every concert I play is a celebration for me. I am so incredibly grateful to be doing what I am doing!

Who is one of your biggest musical idols or heroes who has inspired you?

In my early teens, my parents showed me a video of Van Cliburn, and my life was never the same! I remember pointing at the TV and saying “I want to do that!” It was poetry in motion, the way his fingers just danced and the way he was so effortlessly immersed in his music-making. I had the good fortune to meet my idol in 2002 after a rehearsal with the New West Symphony and Maestro Boris Brott. I had performed with them earlier, so I shyly asked Maestro Brott if I may pay a quick visit backstage. Not only was Van Cliburn happy to say hello, but he kindly asked me about my own performance and we took a photo. As my father and I left to drive home, we were both so bewildered that we actually ran a red light and were stopped by the police. As the officer approached our window, we both started feverishly babbling something along the lines of “officer, you don’t understand! We just got to meet….VAN CLIBURN!!” After bearing with our over-excited confusing fan-girling, he kindly waved us off to “go on, get out of here,” and we drove off, grinning all the way home.

As a musician, what is your definition of success?

Doing the work. Truly, all the external factors – sold out concerts, big concert fees, numbers of fans, etc are all wonderful and appreciated. However, success is to me something internal. For me to be successful is to be working – to be able to spend each and every day knowing that, on a good day or a bad day, I am all in! This is what I live for! It is a deep inner sense of satisfaction that I AM doing the work, learning, growing, creating and sharing my work with the world. I always think of that Maya Angelou quote “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”

What advice would you give to young or aspiring musicians?

Be strong! To be a musician is not for the faint of the heart, but it is so deeply rewarding if you remember to ultimately take on every single artistic endeavour for the one person whose approval and inner joy matter most — you! Like all creative fields, ours too is filled with the all-powerful “gatekeepers” whose positive opinions and good reviews can change the very trajectory of our lives. However, first and foremost you must genuinely ask yourself if what you are creating fills you up with joy. And if the answer is “yes,” you are on the right track, keep going and keep believing! Make sure your soul is fulfilled by what you create, and you have a smile on your face when you hear the magical notes you are playing or singing! That is when the rest of the world will join in and smile along with you!

Kariné Poghosyan gives an all-Khatchaturian recital on June 10 at Carnegie Hall, New York. Find out more

karineplays.com

Photo credit: Jonathan Levin