by Aram Arkun
ROCKPORT, Mass. — Over 250 guests assembled in the beautiful setting of the Shalin Liu Performance Center of Rockport, which enjoys an expansive view of the ocean, for a philanthropic concert entitled “A Musical Journey,” featuring original compositions by pianist Marina Margarian. The event, under the patronage of Bishop of the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg in the USA and Canada Mikael Mouradian, took place on November 3, and all proceeds will benefit wounded soldiers in Armenia and the Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church of Belmont. Fifteen original compositions by Margarian were performed by Margarian on piano with a varied group of musicians from Boston and Armenia.
The Philanthropy
Margarian said that around ten years ago she went to Armenia and was asked by her cousin, a military officer, to visit the special hospital for wounded soldiers. She said to the Mirror-Spectator, “I went, saw them and I said, that’s it. I have to do a concert and help them…I started because my heart ached when I saw those young men without hands, or feet.” So for ten years now she has organized a concert, usually of her students and/or herself, as an opportunity to raise money for them.
Then, last year, for the first time she also visited a physical therapy center for soldiers called Soldier’s Home (Zinvori Toun). She distributed money there and at the hospital directly to the wounded soldiers or their families. She said, “It is not a very large sum of money, but it still helps. When we go, they [the administrators] tell us, this person has no money at all, this one is okay. Usually we divide the total money we have equally, but it depends on how much we have raised….Each time we help different families, since every year there are new people in the hospital and Soldier’s Home.”
The last two years Margarian was accompanied on these visits by Maral Der Torossian of Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church, who is one of the main organizers assisting Marina to put together these concerts over the years. The organizing committee this year includes the two of them as well as Rev. Ghazar Bedrossian of Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church. Receipts are signed by recipients, and for five consecutive years, Margarian has received the Wounded Soldiers’ Social Assistance Award from the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia for this philanthropic work.
The Musicians and the Music
After master of ceremonies Joselin Malkhasian welcomed guests, Der Torossian spoke about the difficulties faced by the wounded Armenian soldiers who deserved all the assistance possible considering the sacrifices that they had made. She then provided some biographical information about the performers, beginning with Margarian.
Born in Yerevan, Dr. Margarian received her master’s degree in piano and music from the Khachatur Abovyan Armenian State Pedagogical University and a doctorate in music theory and music education from the Komitas State Conservatory and the Pedagogical University. After six years as a lecturer at the Pedagogical University, in 1991, she moved to the United States and founded Do-Re-Mi Music Studios in Waltham, where currently she has over 45 students of various ages learning piano, solfege and music theory. She also has been teaching music at the Kendall School in Belmont for over 30 years and also is the organist and music director of the Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church choir. In 2015 she founded and served as director of the Meghedi Children’s Vocal Group.
She received the Massachusetts House of Representatives Recognition of Honor in 2017 and the Award for Significant Contribution and Dedication to Armenian Music Culture, and in 2022, the Gomidas Award from the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.
All of the performers were from Boston except soprano Hasmik Harutyunyan, who is based in Armenia but visiting relatives in Los Angeles. Harutyunyan came specially to Boston for this event, Margarian later told the Mirror-Spectator.
Harutyunyan graduated with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in vocal theory and academic solo singing from the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan. She has performed widely in Europe, including France, Spain, Austria, Germany and Belgium, and regularly takes part in charity concerts. She is a soloist with the Opera Viva Quartet and the Arshak Burjalyan Musical Drama Troupe, both in Yerevan. She has earned the Golden Medal of Gratitude from the president of Artsakh, the title Best Classical Singer of the Year from the World Association of Performing Arts, and multiple awards in competitions such as the Renaissance International Festival in Gyumri.
Violinist Armenuhi Hovakimian began to play the violin and piano in Armenia at the age of 7 in Armenia. She received her Bachelor of Music Performance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s in violin performance from Western Michigan University. She has participated in orchestral tours throughout Armenia, Canada, Germany, France and England, coached chamber groups and taught at summer festivals in the East Coast and beyond. She’s the co-founder of the Arlina Ensemble and in addition to teaching she currently enjoys performing with her quartet.
Baritone Asatur Baljyan graduated the Komitas State Conservatory with a bachelor’s degree and studied at the Buchman-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv (2010-11) and the Lotte Lehmann Academy in Perleberg, Germany (2012-13). He took masterclasses with Alessandra Althoff-Pugliese and Peter Konwistchny and performed as a soloist with the National Opera Theater of Armenia. He has performed in Berlin, Moscow, Munich and Istanbul, and has performed leading roles such as Graf Tatul in the opera “Almast” and the title role in “Aleko.”
He is music director and conductor at St. James Armenian Church in Watertown, MA, and creative projects manager at the Armenian State Philharmonic Society. He won the Armenian Presidential Prize for Opera Singing in 2008 and the title of Best Artist of the Year in Chelyabinsk, Russia.
Pianist Gegam Margarian, born in Yerevan, is an example of how talent tends to cluster in families. The brother of Marina, he graduated from the Armenian Concert Music College, influenced by composers Martin Vardazaryan and Arthur Grigoryan. He has performed at the Armenian Philharmonic Theater and appeared at composer Emma Mihranyan’s “New Names” television show. He moved to the US in 1991 and has taught music classes at the AGBU Armenian School in Watertown, the Armenian Sisters’ Academy in Lexington, and Belmont Kindergarten School. He is concertmaster at the Meghedi Vocal group and performs at various concerts throughout the US.
He composes in many genres, including jazz, classical and pop. He arranged the music compositions for the children’s CD “Tsapik Tsapik” and is the composer and director of the children’s musical “The Bird,’ based on a story by Hovhannes Tumanyan. He recently released a series of music videos.
Cellist Sophie Paul is working towards her Master’s of Music in Cello Performance at the Boston Conservatory, where she serves as the cellist of the Honors String Quartet, and studies under Rhonda Rider. She has held fellowships at the Bach Institute at Emmanuel Music, the Music from Salem Chamber Music Festival, and the Harvard Chamber Music Festival. Originally from Salem, Oregon, she graduated in May 2022 with her Bachelor’s of Music in Cello Performance and a minor in English from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.
The musicians performed in various combinations throughout the concert. At one point, a very young girl, Karina Karian, who is a student of Margarian, came onto the stage to perform the song Mayrik [Mommy] in a charming duet with Harutyunyan, afterwards bringing a flower to her own mother sitting in the audience nearby.
Closing
Rev. Ghazar Bedrossian gave some closing remarks, thanking the participants, audience and supporters. He quoted various important cultural figures, Armenian and musical, about the importance of music, which connects mind and soul, spirit and body, and also shows the importance of love and compassion. Rev. Bedrossian exclaimed that the musicians through the world of music transported the audience to a different place, and paraphrasing William Saroyan, exclaimed, “We have a new Armenia in this hall, full of music, prayer, culture, emotion and spirit.”
The first encore was of Margarian’s own My Yerevan, bringing together all the performers. Rev. Bedrossian surprised the performers and the audience with a rendition of Pari Arakil [Kind Stork] by Aleksey Hekimyan. He said that it symbolizes the Armenian nation, which loves to build, starting from zero, and creating a homeland wherever its members go.
After the event was over, Der Torossian said to the Mirror-Spectator, “I am very proud of all the performers and of Marina’s accomplishments. I really hope we can keep it going, both for the sake of this community and Armenia. Culturally it is a unique type of program for the community, and if we can provide assistance in Armenia too, it is all the more worth it.”
The performers with organizer Maral Der Torossian after the event
She noted that this year was the most successful yet in terms of philanthropy, thanks to generous donors and the general audience.
Main Photo Caption:
Dr. Marina Margarian (photo Ken Martin)
