Pegasus: The Orchestra (Ariel Horowitz, violin; Yasmina Spiegelberg, clarinet; Karén Hakobyan, piano): Folk Inspirations
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Karén Hakobyan, piano
Described as “a musician of abundant gifts and bountiful ideas” by New York Concert Review and “an immensely talented and dynamic performer” by Deseret Morning News, Armenian-American conductor, pianist, and composer Karén Hakobyan is a versatile force on the international music scene. Since making his Carnegie Hall debut at age seventeen, he has performed in major concert halls across Armenia, Argentina, Mexico, Germany, the UK, Belgium, France, Japan, and the United States.
Karén is the Founder, Principal Conductor, and Artistic Director of Pegasus: The Orchestra, based in New York. As part of Pegasus’s Fifth Anniversary Season (2022–2023), he conducted all five Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos with five soloists in a single evening at Lincoln Center, earning widespread critical acclaim. Fanfare magazine described Hakobyan’s Brahms Fourth Symphony as “a shattering experience, not to be missed.” Notable conducting engagements include leading the Armenian National Chamber Orchestra in Armenia, the Ryukyu Symphony Orchestra in Japan combined with top principals from Tokyo and guest conducting the MostArts International Festival Orchestra, featuring pianist Asiya Korepanova as soloist.
Last season was a celebration of American music, uniting two complementary programs — Americana and New World. Americana honored the centennial of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, which Hakobyan both played and conducted from the piano, while New World concluded the season with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, praised by New York Classical Review as “delivered with commanding energy and a strong sense of ensemble.” Upcoming engagements include performances featuring Ravel150 and an All-Armenian Program with Pegasus at Kaufman Center, as well as a highly anticipated Carnegie Hall debut.
A top prizewinner in multiple international piano and composition competitions, Hakobyan holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music, and the University of Utah. His performances have been broadcast on WQXR (New York City), WFMT (Chicago), WSKG (New York), Argentine National Radio, Monterrey’s Op. 102 (Mexico), Armenian National Radio, Al Jazeera TV, Public TV of Armenia, and Voice of America TV.
Yasmina Spiegelberg, clarinet
Ariel Horowitz, violin
Hailed by The Washington Post as “Sweetly Lyrical,” violinist, composer/songwriter, and community organizer Ariel Horowitz (they/them or she/her) cannot remember life before loving music.
In 2020, Ariel joined the Concert Artists Guild roster for North American management and enjoys an active touring schedule as a soloist and as one-half of Vision Duo, an ensemble formed with fellow CAG artist Britton-René Collins in 2021. As a composer, songwriter, and avid improviser, Ariel’s original music centers on themes of healing, community, and liberation. She has performed her compositions and songs around the world, including at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.
As a community organizer, Ariel is honored to be the Founder and Artistic Director of the Heartbeat Music Project, a tuition-free program offering music and Navajo (Diné) cultural education as well as direct aid resources to young people in grades K–12 living on the Navajo Nation. Ariel’s organizing for this work is as a long-term co-conspirator for Indigenous-led decolonization and land back efforts, and as a guest on the sovereign Navajo Nation. In 2022, HMP received the Lewis Prize for Music’s Accelerator Award in the amount of $500,000 to support their work with Navajo youth.
ABOUT PEGASUS: THE ORCHESTRA
