Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee

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Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee (born February 9, 1938) is an Armenian-American contemporary classical composer and pedagogue.

Contents

Biography

Rahbee was born in Somerville Massachusetts and raised in Waltham Massachusetts. Her father, Peter Aharon Goolkasian, was a survivor of the 1915 Armenian genocide. [1] [2]

Rahbee began her early musical training as a pianist with Antoine Louis Moeldner, and continued study at Juilliard School as a piano major. She continued her work at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg in Salzburg, Austria. She later studied piano with David Saperton in New York and Lily Dumont, Russell Sherman, and Veronica Jochum in Boston.

At age 40, Rahbee began concentrating on composing and produced a large body of works. [3] Her music has been described as "postserial in persuasion", [4] and marries influences of Armenian folk music, neo-tonal musicality and rhythmic drive. [5] Maurice Hinson in Guide To The Pianist’s Repertoire commented that Goolkasian-Rahbee's pedagogical works for piano are among the finest such works. [6]

Rahbee traces her lineage of piano study directly to Ludwig van Beethoven through Antoine Louis Moeldner. Moeldner studied with Helen Hopekirk and Ignacy Jan Paderewski, [7] who both studied with Theodor Leschetizky. Leschetizky in turn studied with Carl Czerny, who studied with Beethoven himself.

Rahbee lives in Belmont, Massachusetts where she has taught private piano lessons for many years. [8]

Works

Piano

Piano (pedagogical)

Two pianos

Piano and orchestra

Organ

Harpsichord

Violin

Violin and piano

Viola

Cello

Ensemble

Trios

  • Trio "Shir Ahaba" Op. 28 (1986) for flute, viola and cello
  • Suite Op. 45 No. 1-8 (1991) for piano, violin and cello or winds
  • Trio Op. 63 viola, cello and piano (1994)
  • "Vicissitudes" Second Millennium Op. 97a (1999) for violin, cello and piano
  • "Vicissitudes" Second Millennium Op. 97b (1999) for clarinet, cello and piano
  • Wedding March Op. 135 (2003) for piano, violin and cello

String quartet

  • Improvisation Op. 6 (1973)
  • "Pages from my Diary" Op. 19 (1983)
  • String Quartet Op. 57 "Keff" (1992)
  • String Quartet Op. 58 "Journey's End" (1993)

String quintet

  • "Journey’s End" Op. 58 (String Quartet & Double Bass)

Sextet

  • "Seeds of Friendship" Op. 111 No. 1, 2 flutes and strings (2001)
  • "A Short Burst of Energy" Op. 111 No. 2, 2 flutes and strings (2001)

Orchestra

  • Symphony No. 1 "Kiss of Peace" Op. 38 (1990) (2-2-3-2, 4-2-2-1, timp., perc., str.)
  • Elegy Op. 39 (1990) string orchestra
  • Tapestries Op. 49 (1991)
    • No. 1 "Proclamation" (2-2-2-2, 4-1-3, timp., perc., str.)
    • No. 2 (2-2-3-2, 4-2-3, timp.,perc.,str.)
    • No. 3 (2 (pic)-2-3-2, 4-2-2-1, timp.,perc.,str.)
    • No. 5 (2-2-2-2, 4-2-2, timp., perc.,str.)
  • Tone Poem Op. 55 "Sevan" (1992) (2 (picc.)-2-2-2, 4-2-2, timp.,perc., str.)
  • Three Statements (1993)
    • No. 1 "Keff" Op. 57a
    • No. 2 "Journey's End" Op. 58
    • No. 3 "Essay" Op. 59 (Strings and percussion)
  • "Journey’s End" Op. 58a (full orchestra) (1995)
  • Concerto Op. 156 for Mimi Stillman (2007) for flute and orchestra
  • Concerto Op. 158 (2007) for violin and orchestra (arr. Concerto Op. 156)

Student orchestra

  • Belmont Suite for Orchestra Op. 86 (1998)
  • “Keff” Student Orchestral Ensemble Op. 117 (2001)

Concert band

  • Tapestry No. 3 Op. 49a "Satire" (1992)

Mandoline

Recorder ensembles

Flute

Winds

Brass

Percussion

Voice

References

  1. Staff, Weekly (2010-08-04). "Composer Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee Celebrates a Life Devoted to Classical Music". The Armenian Weekly. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
  2. (May, 2025) Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee at FJHmusic.com.
  3. (May, 2025) Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee at FJHmusic.com.
  4. Bernard Holland, "Music: Debuts in Review; Phyllis Alpert Lehrer, Old and New on Piano", New York Times (April 11, 1982).
  5. Jenner, S. (1996). EPTA [European Piano Teachers Association] Piano Journal, Volume 16
  6. Hinson, M. (1987) "Guide To The Pianist's Repertoire" Indiana University Press, Bloomington, IN.
  7. "Composer Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee Celebrates a Life Devoted to Classical Music". 4 August 2010.
  8. "Festival for Creative Pianists - Prize Page".