Special thanks to BG Sound Stage!

Ara, can a person like you with Spanish citizenship, Armenian origin, born in Lebanon and traveling all over the world feel at home somewhere? And where do you feel home?

In my skin. I’ve really traveled a lot in my life, I like all cultures. For me, home is where I feel comfortable. Now I am very happy to be in Bulgaria, in Sofia. And if I’m happy, then I’m home. Of course, I have a family now – my girlfriend, the actress Natalia Moreno, and our son Cairo. And sometimes when I’ve traveled for a long time, I miss them. It would be perfect to be able to have them with me all the time and on my tours.

How did you meet your Natalia?

I saw her in the audience at a concert of mine. I don’t find my girlfriends in discos or restaurants. I don’t know how to do that. I haven’t had that many relationships, but they’re always long-lasting and I’ve met all these women at my concerts. Natalia was a friend of a friend I invited. After the show we went out to eat and… It wasn’t love at first sight. It happened gradually, as we spent time with each other and after I got to know her. And as we traveled. She’s attractive, but the defining thing for me is that we’re good together. We laugh a lot, we enjoy each other’s company. And so it’s been 7 years.

How does your Natalia look like?

Very beautiful. She’s shaving her head right now. And she’s hairless, like Shiney O’Connor. Otherwise, she’s short, black-eyed, Hispanic.

Why did you name your son Cairo?

I don’t know. We considered a lot of options, wondering what name to give him, whether it should be Armenian, Lebanese, Spanish, Gypsy… And none of them appealed to us or sounded appropriate or good enough. One day it came to me – Cairo. When I said it, we fell in love. Well, that’s it, we decided, and that’s what we named it. And he does look like Cairo. Only my girlfriend has been to Egypt so far, not me, but I want to go with my son. He’s four and already asking me when we’re going to see the pyramids.

Is he interested in music?

Only when he dances to it, otherwise no. If I try to show him how to play, he throws the violin in my face. He hates it. For him it’s the reason I’m gone, even though sometimes he and his mother come on tours with me. I try to play at least 2-3 hours a day without exception, but it’s impossible to practice when Cairo is home. I have to do it when he’s gone. My son is a lot more uncooperative than I was when he was little. I adore music, but haven’t had a chance to discover it and wish to pursue it on my own. My father decided I wanted to be a violinist before I was born. He played the violin that saved his father. After my grandfather lost his entire family in the 1915 genocide, someone gave him a violin and he pretended to be a musician in a band and that’s how he was able to emigrate to Lebanon.

Do you have any brothers or sisters?

I have two sisters — one is seven years older, the other is nine years old. And it was as if I had three mothers. They really took care of me and influenced me a lot. The younger one was obsessed with Led Zeppelin — a fan to the bone — and she categorically trained me in everything about them: songs, concerts, albums… She had hung a Zeppelin poster above my bed in the children’s room, without caring whether I wanted those grumpy-looking men staring at me and scaring me every time I woke up. My father, on the other hand, was a Bach fanatic and couldn’t stand Led Zeppelin. So my sister listened to them in secret. And there I was — caught between a rock and a hard place — having to quickly cover the poster with a portrait of Bach every time my father knocked on the door. Thank God I grew up, and now in my concerts, I can afford to play both a Zeppelin piece and a Bach work. Both my parents have passed away. They saw many of my concerts, but in recent years, my career has moved to a different dimension. Things are going very well now — I perform all over the world for huge audiences, and I wish my father could have seen that. But such is the natural course of life.

You look 20, and this fall you turned 50. How do you feel at this age?

I think I’m really lucky because I feel very strong, very healthy. I’m not young, but I feel like I am. I think I’m living the best period of my life. And when I turn 60, I plan to feel even better.

Do you work out? What kind of exercise do you do?

I’m not an athlete, but I exercise. My concerts last two and a half hours, and I have to be in good shape. But even outside of music and concerts, I believe it’s important to take care of your health. It’s the most important thing. Whatever you do in life — if you’re not healthy, everything else loses meaning. I watch what I eat, too. Like now — I picked this tasty Caesar salad. It has shrimp and bacon. Though I love bacon, I won’t eat it this time.

After the Caesar salad, Ara orders salmon fillet on ravioli with wild mushrooms and black caviar sauce. I suggest we have some wine — he says he doesn’t drink before a concert. Only one glass in the evening. Still, he agrees for the photos. He prefers white and really enjoys the Augeo Family Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2017 the restaurant offers, which was specially produced for The View and won a silver medal at the SWSA exhibition in China.

Do you cook?

I used to, but I don’t dare cook for other people. My girlfriend loves cooking and she’s great at it. Sometimes I make Lebanese specialties, but only when I’m at home. Otherwise, when I’m traveling, I eat at restaurants. Of course, the best cook was my mother. She was the queen of traditional Armenian cuisine. I adored her dishes. Eating them made me so happy. I miss them a lot. I guess it’s the same for every living being on this planet — I could go to the best restaurant in the world, appreciate everything I try, but nothing will ever taste better than what my mom would have made for me. Look — he shows me his finger, under a ring with a large black stone is a cut wedding band — this is her wedding ring.

Why do you wear it?

Because she passed away, and we were very close.

And the other rings? Where are they from?

This one with the red stone is from Tokyo, and this one’s from Milan. They don’t have any special meaning. When I like something, I buy it.

Who takes care of your styling?

I do. I haven’t always looked like this. There was a time when I was trying to be someone else. When I worked in the world of classical music, I tried to look like a classical musician.

You wore a tailcoat?

Yes, of course. But it felt fake to me. It happened during the time when I was still searching for my own identity. And I had to free myself from all that classical musician protocol. I never really felt like one. Little by little, I started being more authentic and getting closer to myself, discovering who I really am. Now I know who I am, and I’m happier.

I saw the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, and there’s a scene where Freddie Mercury asks Brian May: “So, when are you finally going to cut your hair?” And Brian replies, “Never. I was born this way.”

Yes, I get him. I feel the same. I’ve had long hair since I was eight years old. As a kid, I had really big ears, and my mother decided we could hide them this way. Maybe Brian May also has big ears. (He grins slyly.) Who knows.

And those big earrings — why do you wear them?

I like jewelry and this style, so I buy and wear them. When I get tired of them, I buy new ones.

We talked about your time as a classical musician — are you still playing in the Spanish National Orchestra?

Not anymore. My job as concertmaster ended ten years ago. It was a great experience. I’ve been working and earning my own money since I was 15 or 16. I know what independence means. Many musicians dream of playing in the National Orchestra. It was prestigious to be part of it — and I was 30. But it didn’t do me good. I gained over 20 kg because I hated my life. It was boring. I’d go there, play, and feel bored. During breaks, we’d hang around the café, eating like everyone else. Play, eat, play, eat. If you’re an artist, being part of an orchestra can be frustrating. You have to conform, to be led. They tell you what to do — and you have to do it. Sure, it’s nice that they pay you, but I needed more. I needed to be free, to experiment, to fly, to create my own show, to test myself. It was very hard to decide to leave because of the security and steady paycheck, but it’s the best decision I ever made.

Is it true you and Vasko Vassilev shared an apartment, even a bed?

Yes — and with another violinist too. We were studying in England. We were so poor that we could only afford to split the rent for one room in South London, near Brixton. Today it’s a trendy place, but 30 years ago, it was a dangerous neighborhood — even for “criminal types with violins” like us. It was fun, though. Vasko and I are great friends, and it’s always a pleasure to see each other. But I’m not the type to look back nostalgically at how great the old days were. I believe the best is yet to come.

Still — one last look back. You worked with two of Spain’s greatest directors — Carlos Saura and Pedro Almodóvar. Tell me more about them.

Both are incredible artists, the best. Working with Carlos Saura is a real pleasure — easy, natural. He understands art, cinema, music, fine art. There’s no need to pretend. You just do what you know, and things work out. He told me, “Just play.” And so my band and I started playing. He recorded the whole concert, watched it, and took what he needed. With Pedro, it was different. He gave us the finished film, and together with the composers and musicians, we watched it and then added the music. Pedro is the best ambassador of Spanish culture, without ever making a big deal about it.

Do you go to other people’s concerts?

Less than I’d like to. The last one I saw was Radiohead. And I loved their show so much. I owe them a lot. Thanks to them, I “ruined” my chance to become Boy George’s musician. Years ago, I had a chance to play with him. I’d passed the audition with his manager, and they wanted to try me out at a festival. On my way there, I passed by the Radiohead show on the neighboring stage. Three hours later, I came to my senses. I figured, whatever — I’ll sneak back among Boy George’s musicians and pretend I’ve been there the whole time. Naturally, his concert had long ended, and both he and his manager pointed me straight to the door.

I also go to classical concerts, where sometimes I learn what not to do and how not to play. Classical music performances have too many rules, protocols, traditions. That’s why young people avoid it. One should be able to enjoy music without having to prepare for it in advance.

How do you feel after your own shows? You’re like a force of nature on stage — you barely touch the ground.

Usually, I’m very tired, but also very happy. The emotions I experience during a show are so intense, so inspiring. Afterwards, I only have the strength to sleep. And I do it with enormous joy and satisfaction. People who meditate will understand me. For me, a concert is meditation. I stop thinking. I fly to another world — a world of beauty. And it makes me happy. If I go ten days without a concert, I start getting restless. I guess I’m addicted. I need it.

How long is your tour?

It started two years ago and will finish this December. After that, we’ll prepare and record a new album and launch a new tour.

Your son will be upset again.

Yes — I hope he’s starting to get used to it. I think having a child is the most beautiful thing in life. Cairo is fantastic. When he was born, I realized what truly matters and what doesn’t. We tend to obsess over small things, convince ourselves they’re so important. But when you become a parent, you understand that most things in life are so relative. The most important thing is to be healthy and happy. That’s all that matters.

Cairo is my love, but one day he’ll turn 18, he’ll fly off on his own path, live his own life, and forget about me. And I’ll miss him. But my passion — music — will remain.

I believe a person should balance self-care with love for their children — give them all the love they need, but also stay dedicated to what they love, their profession, even after becoming a parent. This applies to both women and men. That’s why my girlfriend, although a mother, tries to keep working in her profession, building her career. She was an actress. Now she mostly directs. After making several short films, she’s working on a full-length one. She also shoots commercials.

What is love to you, and how would you describe romance?

Love is the most wonderful thing — something we all need to be happy. I wish love ruled the world. And romance, to me, is being able to recognize your feelings and enjoy them — no matter if they’re sad, joyful, or loving. There were times in my life when I ignored them, pretended they don’t exist. But they appear to be shown not to be hidden. I think it is romantic to talk about them, to react like they inspire you to, to live with them, to recognize their value.

• The years are calculated according to 2018.