Tigran Arakelyan, Music Director
Senior Orchestra and Sinfonietta
Tigran is in his fifth season as Music Director of the BIYO. Dr. Arakelyan is the Music Director of the Northwest Mahler Festival, Federal Way Youth Symphony Orchestra, Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra and the assistant conductor of California Philharmonic Orchestra. He recently made his Walt Disney Concert Hall conducting debut and has played alongside Sir James Galway during his induction into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Tigran is a prize winner in The American Prize—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming and at the Global Music Awards. Previously, he held assistant/associate conductor positions with the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra, Bellingham Symphony Orchestra, Northridge Youth Philharmonic and the Rainier Symphony.
Arakelyan's recent conducting engagements were with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Olympia Chamber Orchestra, Armenian Pops Orchestra, Sungji Youth Symphony (S. Korea), Gujwa Youth Orchestra (S. Korea), Centum Youth Orchestra (S. Korea), Juneau Symphony, Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra, Inverted Space Ensemble, LARK Orchestra (CA), and innovative collaborations with the Olympic Performance Group, Evergreen Choir, and Olympic Girls' Choir. Arakelyan has taken the Federal Way Youth Symphony on three tours of South Korea (2014, 2017, 2019), conducting in Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Daejeon, Gwangju, among others. He is the founder of the Port Townsend Chamber Orchestra, Bainbridge Island String Orchestra Festival and the PTSO Young Artist Competition. He led the Port Townsend Symphony to unprecedented financial and audience growth in the first two years of his tenure.
Arakelyan was the Founder Conductor/Artistic Director of Cadence Chamber Orchestra (WA) and the Music Director of Whidbey Island Orchestra (WA), University of Washington Campus Philharmonia, UW Summer Orchestra, Bremerton Youth Symphony and Echo Youth Orchestra at the Lark Musical Society (CA). He has been instrumental in initiating innovative collaborations with composers, soloists, visual artists, dancers, and choirs. Arakelyan helped in creating youth scholarship programs, festivals, young composer competitions and led orchestral performances at unconventional venues.
He conducted the Pacific Northwest premiere of Paul Hindemith Kammermuzik Nr. 1. Arakelyan has also conducted the Yakima Symphony Chamber Orchestra, University of California Los Angeles Philharmonia, Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts, Korean Music Association Choir (WA), Inverted Space Modern Ensemble, U.W. Symphony, California State University Northridge Symphony, CSU Northridge Discovery Players, and the Nimbus Ensemble (CA). He premiered works by Keith Jarrett, James Cohn, Iosif Andriasov, Eleanor Aversa, Michael Austin Miller, Yiğit Kolat, Jeff Bowen, Jon Brenner, Arshak Andriasov, and Felipe Rossi.
Arakelyan is a three time recipient of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Performing Arts Fellowship, Edward Hosharian Award, and the Armenian Allied Arts Competition (1st place), among others. He participated in the Conductors Guild Workshop, Pierre Monteux School for Conductors, Idyllwild Music Festival, Dilijan Chamber Music Series, Seasons Festival Academy, and Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. Arakelyan conducted in masterclasses with notable conductors David Loebel, Frank Battisti, Donald Thulean, Ennio Nicotra, David Effron, Neal Stulberg and Michael Jinbo.
Arakelyan earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting from the University of Washington. His primary conducting studies are with Ludovic Morlot, David Alexander Rahbee, Victor Vener and flute studies with John Barcellona, Paul Taub, and Laura Osborn. Arakelyan played in flute masterclasses with Stephen Preston and Shigenori Kudo. In his youth he played in the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic Orchestra.
Senior Orchestra and Sinfonietta
Tigran is in his fifth season as Music Director of the BIYO. Dr. Arakelyan is the Music Director of the Northwest Mahler Festival, Federal Way Youth Symphony Orchestra, Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra and the assistant conductor of California Philharmonic Orchestra. He recently made his Walt Disney Concert Hall conducting debut and has played alongside Sir James Galway during his induction into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Tigran is a prize winner in The American Prize—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming and at the Global Music Awards. Previously, he held assistant/associate conductor positions with the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra, Bellingham Symphony Orchestra, Northridge Youth Philharmonic and the Rainier Symphony.
Arakelyan's recent conducting engagements were with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Olympia Chamber Orchestra, Armenian Pops Orchestra, Sungji Youth Symphony (S. Korea), Gujwa Youth Orchestra (S. Korea), Centum Youth Orchestra (S. Korea), Juneau Symphony, Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra, Inverted Space Ensemble, LARK Orchestra (CA), and innovative collaborations with the Olympic Performance Group, Evergreen Choir, and Olympic Girls' Choir. Arakelyan has taken the Federal Way Youth Symphony on three tours of South Korea (2014, 2017, 2019), conducting in Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Daejeon, Gwangju, among others. He is the founder of the Port Townsend Chamber Orchestra, Bainbridge Island String Orchestra Festival and the PTSO Young Artist Competition. He led the Port Townsend Symphony to unprecedented financial and audience growth in the first two years of his tenure.
Arakelyan was the Founder Conductor/Artistic Director of Cadence Chamber Orchestra (WA) and the Music Director of Whidbey Island Orchestra (WA), University of Washington Campus Philharmonia, UW Summer Orchestra, Bremerton Youth Symphony and Echo Youth Orchestra at the Lark Musical Society (CA). He has been instrumental in initiating innovative collaborations with composers, soloists, visual artists, dancers, and choirs. Arakelyan helped in creating youth scholarship programs, festivals, young composer competitions and led orchestral performances at unconventional venues.
He conducted the Pacific Northwest premiere of Paul Hindemith Kammermuzik Nr. 1. Arakelyan has also conducted the Yakima Symphony Chamber Orchestra, University of California Los Angeles Philharmonia, Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts, Korean Music Association Choir (WA), Inverted Space Modern Ensemble, U.W. Symphony, California State University Northridge Symphony, CSU Northridge Discovery Players, and the Nimbus Ensemble (CA). He premiered works by Keith Jarrett, James Cohn, Iosif Andriasov, Eleanor Aversa, Michael Austin Miller, Yiğit Kolat, Jeff Bowen, Jon Brenner, Arshak Andriasov, and Felipe Rossi.
Arakelyan is a three time recipient of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Performing Arts Fellowship, Edward Hosharian Award, and the Armenian Allied Arts Competition (1st place), among others. He participated in the Conductors Guild Workshop, Pierre Monteux School for Conductors, Idyllwild Music Festival, Dilijan Chamber Music Series, Seasons Festival Academy, and Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. Arakelyan conducted in masterclasses with notable conductors David Loebel, Frank Battisti, Donald Thulean, Ennio Nicotra, David Effron, Neal Stulberg and Michael Jinbo.
Arakelyan earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting from the University of Washington. His primary conducting studies are with Ludovic Morlot, David Alexander Rahbee, Victor Vener and flute studies with John Barcellona, Paul Taub, and Laura Osborn. Arakelyan played in flute masterclasses with Stephen Preston and Shigenori Kudo. In his youth he played in the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic Orchestra.
Jane Melin, Debut Orchestra Director
Jane Melin grew up in Seattle where she began studying violin at age 8. Jane has played in orchestras almost continually since grade school, from Roosevelt High School’s award-winning Chamber Orchestra to the Seattle Youth Symphony, All-City and All-State Orchestras, Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Washington University (St. Louis) Symphony. Moving to Poulsbo in 1996, she joined the Bremerton Symphony’s first violin section, and in 2005 began teaching private violin lessons.
Jane received a violin teaching certification (NCTM) through the Music Teachers National Association. She is serving as President of the Kitsap Music Teachers Association for the 2018-2020 term, and developed Musicianship Exams for strings students within the Washington State Music Teachers Association. She has studied violin pedagogy in workshops with Mimi Zweig (Indiana University String Academy), Rebecca Henry (Peabody Pre-Conservatory Violin Program), Sherry Sinift (String Academy of Wyoming) and Mark O’Connor (O’Connor Violin Method). She has been a sectional coach for the Bremerton Youth Symphony and the Poulsbo Community Orchestra, and serves as a substitute concertmaster for the Bremerton Symphony. She directed her church choir for many years, which included performances at the Admiral Theatre’s Sounds of the Season talent shows and McDonald’s Gospelfest at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. She also teaches the Advanced Ensemble class for Central Kitsap Home School Strings. Jane's studio website is www.melinmusicstudio.com.
Jane Melin grew up in Seattle where she began studying violin at age 8. Jane has played in orchestras almost continually since grade school, from Roosevelt High School’s award-winning Chamber Orchestra to the Seattle Youth Symphony, All-City and All-State Orchestras, Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Washington University (St. Louis) Symphony. Moving to Poulsbo in 1996, she joined the Bremerton Symphony’s first violin section, and in 2005 began teaching private violin lessons.
Jane received a violin teaching certification (NCTM) through the Music Teachers National Association. She is serving as President of the Kitsap Music Teachers Association for the 2018-2020 term, and developed Musicianship Exams for strings students within the Washington State Music Teachers Association. She has studied violin pedagogy in workshops with Mimi Zweig (Indiana University String Academy), Rebecca Henry (Peabody Pre-Conservatory Violin Program), Sherry Sinift (String Academy of Wyoming) and Mark O’Connor (O’Connor Violin Method). She has been a sectional coach for the Bremerton Youth Symphony and the Poulsbo Community Orchestra, and serves as a substitute concertmaster for the Bremerton Symphony. She directed her church choir for many years, which included performances at the Admiral Theatre’s Sounds of the Season talent shows and McDonald’s Gospelfest at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. She also teaches the Advanced Ensemble class for Central Kitsap Home School Strings. Jane's studio website is www.melinmusicstudio.com.