Ann-Christine Vilund is going to preach Komitas
Under the initiative of the Komitas Institute, foreign artists are also invited to the 2nd “Komitas” fest launched on September 26. “Aravot” met with opera singer arrived in Sweden, Ann-Christine Vilund, and Sweden resident pianist and composer Karin Gevorgyan-Hellman. We have introduced the latter at the opening of the Embassy of Sweden to Armenia last year.
Note that Karin Gevorgyan-Hellman lives in Stockholm in 1991, she has also worked for many years at the Royal Opera House, currently, in her words, she is a free-lance artist. “I got acquainted with Ann-Christine Vilund at the Opera House. She wonderfully performed by romance “Rose fragrance” and in 2012 she performed Komitas “Surb-Surb,” and fell in love with the Master’s works. When I receive this invitation from the Ministry to participate in this festival, I told this to Ms. Vilund. She just told me that she cannot miss the chance to come and attend this event. So, we are in Yerevan,” informed Ms. Gevorgyan-Hellman.
She added that the Swedish artist being in Armenia for the first time is fascinated by Komitas choral, vocal for children and piano works, she is already acquainted with some Armenian artists, including Hovhannes Chekijyan. Karin Gevorgyan-Hellman recalled musicologist and expert in Komitas, Robert Atayan’s following lines describing Komitas, “The works of the Master played a great role in the development of the development of the Armenian musical new culture. Suffice to say that they invested musical mode of thinking in the Armenian professional music based on the national traditions and emerged thru the means of contemporary composing art, also showing the trends of future development of the Armenian music. Along with this historical role, Komitas works did not fade and continue to shine in their artistic simplicity by freshness and originality.”
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To the question to what extent Komitas is known in Sweden, Ann-Christine Vilund clearly responded that people in Sweden have no idea of Komitas, then she added that she is the president of “The Teachers of the Swedish voice” Association and since around 30 countries are cooperating with this Association, she has decided to take special courses on the themes of Komitas. We asked to briefly introduce the main objective of the Association. “The Association founded in 1987 is working only in the direction of voice or vocal. We host specialists from the USA, Great Britain, Finland, Canada, in short, from European countries, who give lessons to young voices and work greatly in the direction of the articulation of the text,” said Ms. Vilund.
She said that she is not so familiar with the works of the Armenian artists, she only knows composer Aram Khachaturyan’s name, once at the Stockholm Opera House, she performed in accompaniment with a string quartet, whose first violin was Varuzhan Kojyan and once she admired the art of an Italian resident soprano Sona Adonts. “Recently, wonderful opera soprano Hasmik Grigoryan performed the main voice part in Puccini’s “Madam Butterfly” opera staged in our theatre. Not only I but our whole opera-admiring community was fascinated. Later, we learned from Karin that the singer is the daughter of the famous tenor Gegham Grigoryan,” said our interlocutor.
Addressing the “Komitas” fest, the Swedish singer said that she has already listened to the performances of Komitas by the State Academic Choir of Armenia, and until October 8, on the days of the fest, she will be delighted to get acquainted with Armenian artists, including pianist Svetlana Navasardyan, Hayk Melikyan and Sona Hovhannisyan, who is the Director of “Hover” choir and others. She even joked that it is good that Karine is with her in the days of her stain in Armenia, who kindly undertook not only to further familiarize her to the Komitas art but also to the Armenian culture in general. “It is my pleasure to be in your hospitable country and attend the Komitas event. On the other hand, I hurry to go to Sweden to tell and introduce the Armenian genius – Komitas,” mentioned Ann-Christine Vilund.
Samvel DANIELYAN, “Aravot” daily
Photo: Ann-Christine Vilund (left) and Karin Gevorgyan-Hellman
