Arie Dakesian

Programme to include works by Italian composers Scarlatti, Paganini, Tedesco, Mario Gangi and Milano, plus Piazzolla and Spanish folk music. Arrangements and compositions by the artist.

Arie Dakesian is a classical guitarist studying at the Royal College of Music, where he’s currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Performance with professors Gary Ryan and Christopher Stell. He’s a Houston Family Scholar and a recipient of the highly sought-after Julian Bream Trust scholarship award, as well as several Armenian scholarship funds including the Ouzounian Trust and AGBU Scholarships. He was recently selected for the highly prestigious Tillett Debut Scheme 2024, which allows a two-year collaboration and a wide range of performances; this made him only the fifth guitarist to receive the award since the scheme emerged in 1995.

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. This very much shows in his concert programmes as well as his debut album released in 2024. Recent engagements include performances in Kew Gardens, Kings Place, the Royal Albert Hall, St James’s Piccadilly and Wigmore Hall.

Arie Dakesian is supported by the Tillett Trust.