17 musicians from different parts of the world, from different ages and ethnicities, participated in the “Musical Armenia” project organized by the Armenian General Benevolent Union, for the past three weeks. The goal of the project is to connect Armenians around the world with the Homeland through Armenian music and Armenian musicians. Musicians of different ages gather from different countries of the Diaspora, with amateur and professional orientation, and in the homeland, they improve their skills at the best professionals. However, the program is so successful that non-Armenians also want to participate. This year, for example, 3 out of 17 participants were not Armenians, but they were united by love and respect for Armenian art, particularly Komitas.
The musicians participated in master classes of the best professionals in Armenia and listened to lectures, starting with Tigran Mansuryan and Svetlana Navasardyan, ending with Armen Hyusnunts, Robert Amirkhanyan and Bagrat Vardanyan.
In the evening of July 28, the AGBU concert hall was full of audience. The 17 musicians delivered the results of their 3-week hard work.
Oud and kamancheh, piano and violin, cello and duduk, many instruments and pieces were performed, mostly, of course, of Armenian composers.
The 17-year-old sisters form the USA, Alexandra and Lilia Yaralians immediately captured the heart of the audience with their indescribably clear and captivating voice, when singing Komitas’ unique songs.
Violinist Ani Sophie Byukyujyan, student of the world-famous Julliard School of Arts, performed E. Baghdasaryan’s “Rhapsody” with such unique technique and sensual tension, that the hall had stiffened.
Sisserian Narine performed her own piece, A dreamer in G, which was warmly welcomed by the audience.
Marat Avanesyan, from Russia, performed the third part of Khachatryan’s “Trio” with violinist Alexandros Petrin, and meanwhile literally split his clarinet, with which he had perfectly performed Solo de concours by Andre Mesajer before, into pieces, and continued playing on the remaining parts until eventually the clarinet did not turn into a little whistle.
11-year-old Kodi Iskanderian was literally fighting with the piano, while performing Bachelbel-Coyama’s “Canon Rock”, just as Nanor Ter-Petrosyan while performing Babajanyan’s ” Dance of Sasun”, and Jakob Pantak, performing Henry Cowell.
Karo Arslanyan managed to capture the heart of the audience with cello and piano, and Saraswati Swami, of Indian and Argentinian origin, played drums after kamancheh, and then piano. Steven Thompson, who has no Armenian roots, is also an admirer of Komitas, and sang “Mokats Mirza”, “Akh-Maral Jan” and “Hoy Nazan” songs very beautifully and in clear Armenian.
At the end of the concert, composer Robert Amirkhanyan noted that such a high-level concert deserved much greater stages.
Melanya BARSEGHYAN
