Regino Sainz de la Maza y Ruiz was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer. Rondeña was composed in 1962
Avetisyan originally composed this vibrant melody, which has since been skillfully arranged for classical guitar by Dakesian. The piece is deeply rooted in Armenian musical heritage, capturing the authentic spirit and modal richness of the region.
Variations 1-5
El sueño de la razón produce monstruos (The sleep of reason produces monsters) is among Goya’s most famous images, this has been considered as one of the artist’s self-portraits. The man, either sleeping or dreaming (sueño in Spanish carries both meanings), is surrounded by evil-looking owls, a sinister lynx with pointed ears, and bat-like creatures.
The "Carnival of Venice" is based on a Neapolitan folk tune called "O Mamma, Mamma Cara" and popularized by violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini, who wrote twenty variations on the original tune.
"Mediterrations" is an original musical composition created by the acclaimed classical guitarist Arie Dakesian. Drawing heavily on his Lebanese-Armenian background, the piece blends traditional Eastern folk and Mediterranean styles with French chansonnier influences.
Published in 1922 as part of the 13 Pieces for Piano, Op. 76, Sibelius's Étude No. 2 in A minor is a charming, quick-tempo miniature.
i Otoño (Autumn), ii Invierno (Winter), iii Primavera (Spring), iv Verano (Summer)
The Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas, also known as the Estaciones Porteñas or The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, are a set of four tango compositions written by Ástor Piazzolla, which were originally conceived and treated as different compositions rather than one suite, although Piazzolla performed them together from time to time. The pieces were scored for his quintet of violin (viola), piano, electric guitar, double bass and bandoneón. By giving the adjective porteño, referring to those born in Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital city, Piazzolla gives an impression of the four seasons in Buenos Aires. The order of performance Piazzolla gave to his "Estaciones Porteñas" is: Otoño (Autumn), Invierno (Winter), Primavera (Spring), Verano (Summer). It was different from Vivaldi's order.
Arie Dakesian - Guitar
Arie Dakesian is a classical guitarist currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the Royal College of Music, studying with Gary Ryan, Christopher Stell, and Carlos Bonell. He is a Houston Family Scholar, a recipient of the prestigious Julian Bream Trust Award, and is currently supported by the Ouzounian Trust and the Wayne Sleep Foundation. He has previously been an award holder of the Royal Philharmonic Society, Wolfson Foundation, Benlian Trust, St Marylebone Educational Trust, AGBU Scholarships, AMAA Scholarships, and the Kathleen Trust.
In 2024, Arie was named a Tillett Debut Artist, making him only the fifth guitarist to receive this honour since the scheme’s inception in 1995. The award granted a two-year collaboration and a broad platform for performances across the UK. As part of his residency with the Tillett Trust, Arie played a debut concert in London’s Kings Place in November 2025. He was also a Young Artist for the International Guitar Foundation in 2023/24.
He was actively involved in the making of Play2Festival since 2023; a new festival aimed at providing free workshops and lessons for young children all around Armenia and played a concert in the State Philharmonia Hall earlier this as part of the festival. He has had the pleasure of working with some of the biggest stars of the guitar world; among them are Sergio Assad, Antigoni Goni, Gabriel Bianco, Judicael Perroy, Sean Shibe, Dušan Bogdanovic, Laura Snowden, Steve Goss, and Xuefei Yang.
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, to an Armenian family, Arie has since been exposed to a wide variety of music from an early age, which is woven into the very fabric of his music-making. Recent engagements feature performances in Kew Gardens, St James’s Piccadilly, Royal Albert Hall, Coutts, Kings Place, and Wigmore Hall. Arie is currently represented by the Tillett Trust, Making Music, and the UK Artists’ Directory.
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