Robert Volkmann - Fantasiebilder Op. 1; Sonata Op. 12 in C minor; 5 German Dances Op. 18

Premiere album, released on March 13th

I propose this album recorded in August 2024 in the concert hall of the LichtensteinMusic Academy and released last month for the Romantic Piano collection of the Nexos record label. The album contains works of the prolific German composer Robert Volkmann from the 19th century, with the interpretation of pianist Levon Avagyan, one of the most appreciated pianists from Armenia.

Levon Avagyan was born in 1990 and studied at the Erevan Conservatory, his hometown, then at the Graz Music University with professor Milana Chernyavska. In 2017, he won the Maria Canals International Contest in Barcelona and ever since then he has been invited to perform with renowned orchestras and have recitals at prestigious festivals in Europe. Since the same year, 2017, Levon Avagyan has been a professor and accompanist pianist at the Graz Conservatory, and also collaborates with the Liechtenstein Academy of Music, where he recently recorded the CD dedicated to the music of Robert Volkmann - the second in his discography, after the album released in 2019, with sonatas by Antonio Soler.

Robert Volkman - a prolific romantic creator who lived between 1815 and 1883, worked in Leipzig, Prague, Vienna and Budapest as a teacher, organist, composer and music critic for the Allgemeine Wiener Musik Zeitung. In the last stage of his career he gained notoriety, moved to Hungary and was a professor of harmony and counterpoint at Budapest National Music Academy, where Franz Liszt was principal during that time. Robert Volkman intensively composed lieder, piano scores, choral and orchestral pieces, influenced by the style of romantic composers such as Brahms, Schumann or Mendelssohn - creations with a pronounced lyrical character, sonoric robustness and fantasy, melodic richness and a contemplative atmosphere, but also rhythmic verve during alert passages. These qualities are highlighted in pianist Levon Avagyan's expressive interpretation.