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Dan Yessian
Born (1944-09-05) September 5, 1944 (age 80)

Dan Yessian (/jɛsiːɪn/,Yes-e-in) (born September 5, 1944) is an American producer, musician, composer, arranger, woodwind musician and keyboardist. In 1971, he founded Yessian Music Inc., a music and sound design production company. Yessian received a Distinguished Achievement Award at the 2016 Detroit Music Awards.[1][2]

Yessian is of Armenian ancestry. The documentary and musical composition "An Armenian Trilogy" featured on PBS[3][4] documents Yessian's journey exploring his ancestral Armenian roots and his work composing three musical movements, "The Freedom," "The Fear," and "The Faith".[5] His work was performed live by the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra in Yerevan, Armenia.[4]

Michael, Dan and Brian Yessian in Armenia during the LIVE performance of original music featured in Dan Yessian's documentary, "An Armenian Trilogy".

Career

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Yessian graduated from Wayne State University in 1967. Yessian taught speech and English for four years at Detroit's Redford High School; he left his career in education to pursue a music career.[6][2]

Yessian wrote numerous national and regional commercial jingles for companies such as Whirlpool, Dodge, Ford Motors Company, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Chevrolet, and Little Caesar's.[citation needed] Yessian's jingle for Detroit-based business "Diitrich Furs" aired for over 40 years.[1]

Yessian wrote music for "Sesame Street" with animator Ted Petok. His work on 1970s nationally syndicated children show "Hot Fudge" won a national award for children's programming.[7] He worked for the Electric Company.[1]

Musician Dan Yessian and Detroit Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell.

Yessian wrote theme songs for sports organizations including Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers.[citation needed]

Yessian co-wrote several songs with the late Ernie Harwell.[8]

In the 1980s, Yessian met songwriter David Barrett (Composer "One Shining Moment") with whom he composed numerous songs, including a collaboration with Kenny Watson on "I See Wings," a song written for Yessian's documentary and symphonic work "An Armenian Trilogy".[9] In 2006, Yessian purchased Burt Bacharach's piano, on which he wrote numerous music compositions including classical pieces featured in "An Armenian Trilogy".[5][4]

Yessian Music

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In 1971, Yessian founded Yessian Music Inc., in Farmington, Michigan. Yessian composed music for theme parks and museums; productions include The One World Observatory and Hudson Yards in New York, Trans Studio, Ferrari World, Lotte World, Chimelong, Movie Park.[10][11]

Since the 1990s, Brian and Michael Yessian have led Yessian Music, an international music production company with locations in Michigan, New York City, Los Angeles, and Europe. [12][13] The company produces music and sound designs, and employs over 150 full-time and freelance creative artists.[1] Yessian's Music's work is featured video games, movies, television, sports entertainment and sound production for Disney, Cadillac, Little Caesar's Pizza, Mercedes Benz, Coca-Cola, United Airlines.[12][2]

The company created music featured in five commercials aired in the 2012 Super Bowl.[14] Yessian Music's work also includes sound production for "Sunday Night Football," "America's Got Talent," and "The Voice".[15]

Yessian Music won numerous awards in the advertising and television industry.[16] In 2018, Yessian was inducted into the Adcraft Hall of Fame in Detroit, receiving a lifetime achievement award for his work in the advertising industry.[17][18]

An Armenian Trilogy

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Yessian created "An Armenian Trilogy," a documentary and 22-minute symphonic music piece in honor of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, in which 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered.[19] Said Yessian,

"When my Armenian church priest Father Garabed Kochakian asked me to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, it proved to be a life changing request [...] I discovered the path my ancestors had taken during this dark time and I began to tell their story through music, and ultimately film."[3][20]

Yessian worked with arranger and pianist Kurt Schreitmueller, and the pair composed the first iteration of a duet for violin and piano. It debuted in 2015 at Macomb Center for Performing Arts, featuring musicians Sonia Lee and Shawn McDonald.[4][6][20] Yessian expanded the musical suite to a full symphonic tribute with the help of orchestrator William Wandel and Stewart Shevin.[21][22]

In 2017, Yessian worked with producer Ohad Wilner documenting his family trip to Armenia.[6] The Armenian National Philharmonic performed Yessian's three-part original music at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall in Armenia's capital city of Yerevan.[22][23]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Hinds, Julie (April 28, 2016). "10 things you need to know about Detroit's Dan Yessian". Detroit Free Press.
  2. ^ a b c Wingblad, Aileen. "Yessian to be honored at Detroit Music Awards". Observer and Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  3. ^ a b ""An Armenian Trilogy," documentary about music's Dan Yessian, debuts on Amazon". Public Radio of Armenia. Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Bromley, Susan. "How a Milford man came to compose 'An Armenian Trilogy' on Bacharach's piano". Observer and Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies. Archived from the original on September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Datian, Christine Vartanian (September 12, 2024). "How Dan Yessian Came to Compose An Armenian Trilogy on Bacharach's Piano". The Armenian Mirror-Spectator. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Gibbons, Kathy (August 21, 2020). "Composer Dan Yessian honors his ancestors in 'An Armenian Trilogy'". Hour Detroit. Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  7. ^ The Museum of Classic Chicago Television (www.FuzzyMemories.TV) (January 22, 2008), Hot Fudge Show (Part 4, 1974), retrieved November 20, 2024
  8. ^ Lyman, David. "Metro Detroit composer Dan Yessian's music heads to Armenia, his homeland". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  9. ^ "Local work 'An Armenian Trilogy' commemorates 100th anniversary of genocide". FOX 2 Detroit. September 29, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  10. ^ "SCREEN | Yessian Scores One World Observatory | February 2021 Stories". screenmag.com. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  11. ^ McFarlin, Jim (December 29, 2011). "Detroit Jingle Masters Go International". Hour Detroit Magazine. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Shea, Bill (October 2015). "Michael Yessian". Crain's Detroit Business.
  13. ^ McFarlin, Jim (December 29, 2011). "Detroit Jingle Masters Go International". Hour Detroit Magazine. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  14. ^ SCHWARTZ, ALISON (February 2, 2012). "Yessian Music scores with Super Bowl advertising work". New Haven Register. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  15. ^ "The Men Behind The Music Behind The Super Bowl Commercials". HuffPost. February 4, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  16. ^ Magazine, Screen (May 16, 2024). "Yessian Music, Wave Studios Shine as Winners Honored at 2024 AMP Awards". Screen Magazine. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  17. ^ Turner, Grace (July 2018). "Dan Yessian to be Inducted into Detroit's Adcraft Hall of Fame for Advertising Jingles". DBusiness. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  18. ^ "Dan Yessian inducted into the Adcraft Hall of Fame". FOX 2 Detroit. July 20, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  19. ^ Kifner, John. "Armenian Genocide of 1915: An Overview - New York Times". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Dargay, Sharon. "Dan Yessian reflects on 1915 massacre through music". Observer and Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  21. ^ "Music Evokes Emotions from Armenian Genocide". thejewishnews.com. June 10, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Hinds, Julie (June 11, 2020). "'Armenian Trilogy' film on Detroit composer's journey is now online". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  23. ^ "Michigan Composer To Debut 3-Part Orchestral Work In Armenia - CBS Detroit". www.cbsnews.com. October 9, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
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