A Third-Space Music: Hayk Melikyan on the World of Gurdjieff
For pianist Hayk Melikyan, the spark that led to his exploration of the works of Gurdjieff wasn’t a grand design, but a quiet alchemy.
It began in concert halls across the world, in the curious space that would open whenever he programmed a piece by the enigmatic spiritual teacher George Gurdjieff. A stillness would fall, distinct and profound; in cities from Amsterdam to Tokyo, audiences would lean forward as one, drawn into the simple, transparent melodies.
The music was doing something, and the question of what became a gentle insistence.
The path to an answer was not a straight line, but a wandering conversation that began years earlier with friends, tracing threads of Eastern philosophy. Inevitably, the trail led to Gurdjieff, and from there, homeward to the city of black stone that shaped him — Gyumri.
Author's summary: Hayk Melikyan explores Gurdjieff's music.