About John Harutunian

John Harutunian is a musicologist, pianist, organist, and composer hailing from Boston, MA.  He studied piano under Gladys Ondricek in Boston and Reginald Gerig at Wheaton College.  John has a PhD in musicology from UCLA and is the author of “Haydn’s and Mozart’s Sonata Styles:  A Comparison” published by Mellen Press.  John has served on the faculties of Gordon College and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.  Presently, John records in Worcester’s Mechanics Hall and is organist at Newton Presbyterian Church.

About John Harutunian

John Harutunian is a musicologist, pianist, organist, and composer hailing from Boston, MA.  He studied piano under Gladys Ondricek in Boston and Reginald Gerig at Wheaton College.  John has a PhD in musicology from UCLA and is the author of “Haydn’s and Mozart’s Sonata Styles:  A Comparison” published by Mellen Press.  John has served on the faculties of Gordon College and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.  Presently, John records in Worcester’s Mechanics Hall and is organist at Newton Presbyterian Church.

About John Harutunian

John Harutunian is a musicologist, pianist, organist, and composer hailing from Boston, MA.  He studied piano under Gladys Ondricek in Boston and Reginald Gerig at Wheaton College.  John has a PhD in musicology from UCLA and is the author of “Haydn’s and Mozart’s Sonata Styles:  A Comparison” published by Mellen Press.  John has served on the faculties of Gordon College and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.  Presently, John records in Worcester’s Mechanics Hall and is organist at Newton Presbyterian Church.

In performance…

John Harutunian made his Symphony Hall debut with the Boston Pops Orchestra as a 16-year old, playing the opening movement of Bach’s D-Minor Concerto.

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He has also recorded Bach’s Italian Concerto.

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John has also recorded several Mozart sonatas as well as a rondo.  Instead of a concert hall ambience, this particular CD uses close miking.  The result is that the piano sounds as if it’s actually present in the room; and the listener hears every note Mozart wrote with x-ray clarity.”

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John has recorded Beethoven’s stormy ‘Tempest’ Sonata twice.  On a modern Steinway, its famous Finale sounds like this.

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But on an 1823 English Broadwood, a piano which Beethoven actually owned, it sounds like this.

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Notice the clarity of the bass, and the greater variety of timbre.  You can also hear this varied timbre in the slow movement, where the instrument creates the enchanting sounds of a distant harp.

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John is currently active as organist at Newton Presbyterian Church.  He is also engaged in recording the Bach Goldberg Variations.

Several of John’s CDs are currently available at the Juilliard School Bookstore as well as on this website.