Flute Player Shares Talent with Buffalo Grove Symphonic Band

Hiko Hagopian feels fortunate to be doing what he loves – playing the flute in the Buffalo Grove Symphonic Band.

“My first love was the flute. It’s an instrument that speaks to me – it’s a sound I connect with,” Hagopian said. “It’s what I always wanted to do.”

But this accomplished musician nearly lost the joy of playing the flute forever.

“I was getting gas at a gas station when I got jumped and mugged,” Hagopian said, recalling that cold winter day in 1987 in Milwaukee. He was on his way home from a rehearsal. “They wanted money and I didn’t have any money to give them. I got assaulted with a 2x4. I got hit really badly in the mouth.”

The damage to his mouth was so severe it interfered with his ability to play the flute. But after years without music, the Oak Lawn resident could no longer stay away. He found he could play the oboe and he excelled at it, playing with prestigious orchestras, operas and symphonic bands on the East Coast. But the flute was tugging at his heart. He longed to play again, so he sought a plastic surgeon to restore his mouth.

“I had five surgeries. They slowly made new lips for me,” Hagopian said. “And it worked. I was able to make a sound and that was it – that was the beginning.”

It was as if Hagopian never skipped a beat. He’s recorded six CDs as a flautist and pianist. His music sells in retail stores and online worldwide, and has been used in movies, shows and commercials.

Three years ago he had a chance encounter with Alice Boghasian, a dentist in Park Ridge. Boghasian plays the flute as well and has been a member of the Buffalo Grove Symphonic Band for 10 years. She invited Hagopian to come to a rehearsal. As they were driving, the two made a remarkable connection. Hagopian remembered Boghasian playing in a Chicago high school recital 30 years prior.

“He looked at me and says, ‘It’s you,’ and he put his face in his hands and started to weep,” Boghasian said.

Hagopian had been looking for her all those years. “He said, ‘I heard you play in a recital and your playing inspired me to continue playing my flute’ – and that’s how we struck up our friendship and he started with the [Buffalo Grove Symphonic] Band,” Boghasian said.

Boghasian and Hagopian will perform in the Buffalo Grove Symphonic Band’s Gala 10th anniversary concert, “Celebrating a Decade of Music,” at 7 p.m. Saturday in ’s Performing Arts Center.

Special guests Wayne and Kathleen Messmer will sing at the performance. While they don’t know each other, Hagopian and Wayne Messmer share a common story of survival and heroism. Messmer nearly lost his life and gift of voice in a mugging outside a Chicago restaurant in 1994.

“Unfortunately, being the victim of a shooting and to be shot point-blank in the neck for a singer and a guy who uses his voice broadcasting and speaking – it was cruelly ironic," Messmer said.

He said when he gets the chance to meet Hagopian personally, he’ll give him a hug and say, “Here’s to us – survivors.”

Hagopian said while it took a lot of hard work to regain his ability to play the flute again, it’s people like Messmer who inspire him to succeed.

“I think with perseverance and with the right outlook, I feel all of us can conquer and achieve what we want,” Hagopian said.

Later this week, Patch will feature the band’s 10th anniversary program and provide a sneak peek at Wayne Messmer and Hiko Hagopian singing and playing together.

Admission to the performance is $10 in advance, $12 at the door, and $8 at all times for seniors and students with ID. Contact the Village Manager's Office at 847-459-2517 for more information.

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