Ruben Yessayan

Ruben Yessayán was born in Madrid in 1978 of Armenian and Spanish descent. He began his musical studies at the age of eight. He obtained his professional title through the Arturo Soria Conservatory, studying piano with Rafael Solís and harmony with Enrique Igoa. In 1998 he joined the Manhattan School of Music in New York, where he studied piano with Nina Svetlanova and chamber music with Isidore Cohen. Also, he was chosen as apprentice conductor of the New York Youth Symphony Orchestra under the guidance of Mischa Santora.
He obtains a Bachelors degree in 2002 and a Master in 2004. In addition to the piano, his broad musical interests have led him to carefully study some subjects such as orchestration with Giampaolo Bracali and formal analysis with Dr. Nils Vigeland and Dr. Reiko Fueting with special emphasis on the music of our time. It was throughout this period where he was able to develop his special interest in twentieth century music and contemporary in general, being for three years, the main pianist of the "Claremont Ensemble". Together with this chamber music group he performs some of the most important music of this repertoire, also enjoying a great public success.
In the fall of 2001, he launched the "Manhattan Piano Project," dedicated to promote and help young composers, while encouraging in the public a greater understanding and acceptance of this music through programs focused on monographic basic musical ideas. On his return to Spain this project had its continuity through the Piano XX ½ cycle dedicated to disseminate the music of the 20th century, especially among younger generations. Mr. Yessayán has been awarded several prizes and scholarships highlighting an honorable mention in the Ricard Vinyes competition in 1999 and Helen C. Kohn for his work in chamber music in the 2001 02 season. He has played in different venues such as Weill Hall (Carnegie Hall), Steinway Hall, Casa Museo Federico Garcia Lorca (Granada), Komitas Hall (Armenia) and many others throughout the world.
Besides the piano, his musical interests also include other fields such as composition and management of artistic projects. In late 2006, he published his first album under the title "Different Perceptions" which includes music by W. A. Mozart, I. Albéniz, A. Khachaturian, J. Cage and Enrique Igoa. Since 2007 he has been the Artistic Director of the International Music Festival "Villa de Medinaceli" which has slowly been achieving a capital importance in the musical life of the region of Soria (Spain) and surroundings, with a project of high artistic quality . In 2010 he started a new project under the name of Piano XX ½, which has as its main objective to teach and communicate audiences about the music of the 20th and 21st centuries with brief and coherent programs which also introduce the use of new technologies.
He will be issuing his latest recording very soon, with the Verso label focused on works by Claude Debussy. Currently Mr. Yessayán resides in Madrid where he focuses his professional activities, and is professor of piano at the Music School of San Sebastian de los Reyes (Madrid).