Isabel Bayrakdarian's Gomidas Songs was the subject of a segment of New Classical Tracks on Minnesota Public Radio earlier this week, now available online at minnesota.publicradio.org.

In the episode, host Julie Amacher, in describing the stand-out pieces on the album of Gomidas's "simple yet evocative" songs, declares: "There are so many just plain gorgeous melodies on this recording."

On one, she notes the "soaring passion" with which Bayrakdarian sings; on other, more mournful songs, she finds "the lyrical quality of Bayrakdarian's voice is most beautiful"; still another "is a romantic love song that you'll want to hear again and again. Bayradkarian's gentle soprano voice captures the genuine feelings expressed for a lover who is too far from home."

Collected on this album, Amacher concludes:

There are songs that will make you dance, cry, and smile on this new collection of songs by Gomidas.

Soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian taps into a well of emotion as she shares these songs of her Armenian heritage. When you join her for the journey, you'll find it's an enriching experience.

To listen to the complete segment with excerpts from the album or to read the transcript, visit minnesota.publicradio.org.