Dr. Henry Abakians is currently a Program Manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Although he holds a doctorate degree in engineering from the University of Southern California (USC), music has been a very important aspect of his life. He was born in Teheran, Iran and started piano lessons at the age of 5 (he was a student of Emanuel Melik-Aslanian from his early-teens until he left Iran in 1978 to continue his studies at USC). Throughout his college years he regularly registered in music classes at USC (composition, theory, orchestration; studied with notable composers such as Dr. Morten Lauridsen at USC’s Thornton school of music). He has numerous compositions for solo piano, as well as orchestral, vocal and chamber pieces.
Partial list of compositions:
Solo Piano:
Noubar Variations
5 Toccatas
Essay No. 1 for piano
Theme and Variations on an original melody
Three miniatures for piano
Apophyge no. 1
Exordium & Rhythmus No. 1,2,3
Three Etudes for piano: (1) Arpeggio, (2) Prestissimo, (3) Double &Triple
Etudes for piano (2011)
Theme, Variations and Epilogue
Goldberg Reflections (variations on Bach’s Goldberg Variations’ Aria)
Chamber:
Essay No. 3 for Piano Quintet
Duo for piano and clarinet
String Quartet No.1
Piano Trio No.1
Nonet for Strings
Brass Quintet
Trivet for Alto and piano (in 3 movements; text from W.H. Auden)
Creare (for flute, Oboe, clarinet, and Bassoon)
Orchestral:
Essay No.2 for Large Orchestra
Wanderer songs for Alto and orchestra (text from a selection of Nahapet Kuchak’s Hayerens)
Encore 5 (for piano and Orchestra)
Scherzo for String Orchestra
