Selected Performances

Requiem Fragments: The BBC Singers and Chief Conductor Sofi Jeannin present a concert of reflective music to mark the end of the season of Remembrance. At the heart of the programme is John Tavener’s Requiem Fragments, a sequence of short movements which alternate scoring and spiritual references. It is paired with other works by Tavener – his Song for Athene, a BBC commission for the BBC Singers, arguably made famous by its inclusion in the funeral service of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Through the Night: A delightful programme of a capella music charting the course of a night from dusk through to dawn, including music by Stanford, Elgar, Parry, Macmillan, Dove and Rodney Bennett.

Newcastle Choral Society 70th Anniversary Concert: This year sees Newcastle Choral Society celebrate 70 years of singing in Newcastle upon Tyne and beyond. To mark the occasion we bring you a rather special concert this summer with Will Todd and Kristina Arakelyan in person.

Behold the Sea: ‘We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came.’

Kantos delves into the might and majesty of the deep blue sea, exploring its depths, unravelling its mysteries and succumbing to its power.

We share traditional stories from the high waters with folksong and sea shanties as well as tragic tales of coastal communities where lives are lost at sea. The concert features George Herbert playing Benjamin Britten’s Four Sea Interludes, transcribed for organ by Anna Lapwood, and interspersed with Kristina Arakelyan’s Seascapes for choir.

Communion: Songs of Revolution, Ritual & Requiem. Singing together is one of the joys of life. Four guest choirs and The Bold Chorus join forces with award-winning organisation Festival Voices – conducted by Gregory Bastleer and produced by Oskar McCarthy – opening our COMMUNION season with a monumental celebration of six centuries of song.

Anna Lapwood

National Children's Orchestra of GB

National Youth Choir of GB

Manchester Chamber Choir, Suzzie Vango. Prepare to be whisked away on a celestial journey with the Manchester Chamber Choir as they perform "Stargazing," an awe-inspiring concert experience that unites the allure of the night sky with the enchanting melodies of folk and choral music. Featuring the works of remarkable composers Kristina Arakelyan, James MacMillan, Jussi Chydenius, and Errollyn Wallen, the programme provides a rich tapestry of musical styles and emotions that reflect the wonder and beauty of the night sky.

The Chandos Singers
The Chandos Singers perform Kristina Arakelyan's 'You Know Me' as the Introit for Evensong at St James's Church, Sussex Gardens. February 2024 Conductor - Lindsey James Organ - Stephen Disley

Vicars Choral

Shawn Tunink (Trumpet) and Kevin Vogt (Organ) Holy Angels Catholic Church in Basehor, Kansas.

Anna Lapwood

BBC Proms
Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia, Voices of the River’s Edge, and Massed Voices of the North East, Grace Rossiter and Timothy Burke (conductors)

Arundel Cathedral Choir, Elizabeth Stratford (conductor), John Sharples (organ)

RCM Junior Department Young Artists Concert

St Paul's Knightsbridge choir, Kristina Arakelyan (piano)

Margaret Harper

Trio Sonorite

BBC Singers

City of Birmingham City Orchestra

King's College London chapel choir, Joseph Fort

BBC Singers, Bob Chilcott

Anna Lapwood

'Window Smashing' from 'Penelope Seven Ways to Wait'

Alison Balsom, Anna Lapwood

Srdjan Bulat, guitar

Ancient Ithaca; Penelope, wife of the Greek hero Odysseus, awaits his return from the Trojan War. She’s under pressure to presume him dead and remarry. She announces that she will consider it when she has finished weaving a shroud. She weaves each day, then unpicks each night.
Penelope: Anna Starushkevych Chorus Soprano 1: Alice Usher Chorus Soprano 2: Alice Martin Chorus Soprano 3: Sarah Carroll Chorus Alto 1: Marienella Clarita Phillips Chorus Alto 2: Ellie Stamp Chorus Alto 3: Aino Konkka

Helen Eastman - Librettist
Anna Starushkevych (Penelope), Chorus, Kristina Arakelyan (piano)

Kristina Arakelyan (piano)

Anna Lapwood and The Pembroke College Girls' Choir

BBC Concert Orchestra, Kristina Arakelyan (piano)

BBC Singers, Bob Chilcott

Wulfram church choir

Gabriella Di Laccio (soprano), Kristina Arakelyan (piano)

Zak Saxophone Ensemble,

Orchestra of the Swan, David Curtis

BBC Singers, Ben Palmer

Pembroke Girls' Choir Cambridge, Anna Lapwood

Oxford Alternative Orchestra, Universal Ballet Korea, Kristina Arakelyan (piano)

National Youth Choir of Great Britain

Royal Northern Sinfonia, Lars Vogt (conductor)

Biljana Kovac (contralto) and Srdjan Bulat (guitar)

Royal Northern Sinfonia with Lars Vogt. Inspired by his Waldstein Sonata, Kristina’s piece is a theme and variation in reverse. The music searches and fails to find Beethoven’s theme, before a euphoric discovery at the end.

As well as being inspired by Beethoven musically, Kristina discusses Beethoven’s ability to overcome challenges in his life – reflected in the unprecedented times we are living in now – and the music has a message of hope to collectively overcome our difficulties.

Kristina was commissioned by Sage Gateshead to write the ‘Fantasia’ as part of the RNS Young Composers’ Competition.'

RCM Saxophone Ensemble, Kyle Horch (conductor)

Emmanuel Sowicz (guitar) and Hiroshi Amoko (tenor)

St Alfege Church Choir

Kugoni Trio

Kugoni Trio

Kugoni Trio

Oxford Alternative Orchestra

Srdjan Bulat (guitar)

Hassfest international Art & Music Festival. Collaboration beetween painter Sonia Balassanian(USA) and composer Kristina Arakelyan(UK). Performed by : Srdjan Bulat(Croatia) and Emre Gokalp(Turkey/UK)

RAM Symphony Orchestra

Kristina Arakelyan (piano)

NYCGB Fellowship Ensemble