Life & Work with Grigori Balasanyan of Glendale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Grigori Balasanyan.

Hi Grigori, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am Grigori Balasanyan (b. 2004, Yerevan, Armenia), an Armenian composer and conductor whose music blends my cultural heritage with contemporary techniques and global musical influences. I began composing at the age of eight, and since then my work has ranged from concert pieces to film scores, multimedia collaborations, ballet, and opera. My first ballet was recorded by the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and premiered at the Yerevan State Choreographic College, becoming the first children’s ballet in Armenian music history. In 2024, I made my debut at Carnegie Hall, and I am currently pursuing my Master’s Degree in Conducting at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

In 2020, my family and I moved to Los Angeles, a transition that profoundly shaped my artistic identity. Being immersed in one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world expanded my musical language and deepened my appreciation for cross-cultural collaboration. The city’s energy, diversity, and constant exchange of ideas strengthened both my compositional mindset and my musicianship. I am incredibly proud to represent the Armenian community across the United States. While my parents now live permanently in Los Angeles, I am currently based in Boston as I complete my graduate studies in conducting. After completing my Masters Degree I plan to returning to Los Angeles, work, and contribute my knowledge and skillset to my community.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Moving to the United States in 2020 was one of the most challenging transitions of my life. I arrived in Los Angeles just after the war in Armenia had come to a ceasefire, in the middle of a global pandemic, barely speaking English. I had to adapt not only to a new country and education system, but also to a completely different cultural and artistic environment. There were moments when I felt isolated — trying to express complex musical ideas in a language I was still learning, navigating rehearsals, academic expectations, and professional settings while internally translating everything.

Financial uncertainty was another reality. As an immigrant family starting over, stability was never guaranteed. I often balanced composing with academic responsibilities and outside work, learning quickly how to manage time, pressure, and expectations. There were also artistic struggles — pieces that didn’t work, rehearsals that fell apart, competitions I didn’t win, and moments of deep self-doubt where I questioned whether I truly belonged in certain rooms.

Transitioning into conducting brought a new set of challenges. Standing in front of an ensemble requires a different kind of confidence and leadership. Earning musicians’ trust, refining technique, and learning how to communicate clearly — especially as someone still navigating language and cultural nuance — pushed me far outside my comfort zone.

But every obstacle strengthened me. The language barrier sharpened my listening skills. The cultural transition expanded my artistic voice. The setbacks refined my craft. Looking back, the struggles were not detours — they were formative chapters. They taught me resilience, adaptability, and, most importantly, humility. And those lessons continue to shape both the artist and the person I am becoming.

The most important aspect of overcoming all of these challenges is the people who support me on a daily basis. My parents and my family have my back. My professors, my mentor Dr. Stephen Spinelli, who is a Grammy award winning Conductor, has taken me under his directory to shape me into a better musician and i am forever grateful.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a composer and conductor, and my work lives at the intersection of Armenian musical heritage and contemporary classical language. I write concert music — from solo and chamber works to large orchestral and choral pieces — as well as opera, ballet, and film scores. At the core of everything I do is storytelling. Whether I’m writing a symphonic work or an opera, I approach composition dramaturgically: I think in narrative arcs, emotional pacing, and psychological depth.

I would say I specialize in large-scale forms. Writing opera and symphonic music has become central to my artistic identity. My opera Silent Tears and my orchestral works allowed me to explore themes of displacement, identity, faith, and resilience — topics that are deeply personal to me as an Armenian immigrant. At the same time, I enjoy intimate chamber settings, where subtle color and texture carry the emotional weight.

What I am most proud of is not just specific premieres — including my debut at Carnegie Hall — but the fact that my music consistently brings together diverse communities. Seeing audiences from different cultural and political backgrounds sit in the same room and connect through a shared artistic experience is the most meaningful outcome of my work.

What sets me apart is the combination of cultural perspective and versatility. Growing up in Armenia, then moving to Los Angeles, and now studying conducting at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee has given me a multilayered artistic lens. I naturally blend modal Armenian elements, Western classical structure, cinematic sensibility, and global influences into a unified voice. Additionally, being both a composer and a conductor allows me to understand music from inside the score and from the podium. I don’t just write music — I think about how it breathes in rehearsal, how it feels under the hands of performers, and how it communicates to an audience in real time.

Ultimately, I see my role as more than just creating sound. I aim to build bridges — between cultures, between tradition and innovation, and between artists and audiences. I want to be an artistic director/conductor who brings in vastly different perspectives into a room and thus connects and unites people, regardless of political, social or other divisions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.grigoribalasanyan.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grigbalasanyan/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrigBalassan/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GrigBalasanyanOfficialChannel

Image Credits
Yervand Matevosyan