Honored Artist of the Republic of Armenia, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia gold medalist, laureate of international competitions, professor of the Department of Armenian Traditional Singing and National Instrument Performance Art at the Komitas State Conservatory, Professor Karine Hovhannisyan began her concert activity in 1988, touring many times in different European countries: Spain, Italy, France, Holland, Belgium, England, Sweden, Greece, as well as Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, USA, Canada, where she presented the Armenian kanun with its complex performance possibilities, which aroused great interest and a unique feeling among audiences.
“Since 2000, I have been a soloist of the “Shoghaken” ensemble, where with the same love and dedication, I work with my professional musician friends and serve Armenian culture. The American company Traditional Crossroads has produced 5 CDs of folk songs and melodies with the “Shoghaken” ensemble, all of which are very famous in the music world. In addition to concert tours, we also conduct master classes in Armenian folk music, presenting the history of the creation of national instruments, their unique sound, technical capabilities, and variety of uses. As a result of cooperation with the American companies Traditional Crossroads and Celestial Harmonies, my original CDs ‘Classical Music for the Armenian Kanun’ and ‘Traditional Zither Music’ were produced,” Karine Hovhannisyan said in a conversation with Aravot.am.
“The Armenian kanun performance school was created by the great Armenian composer, my teacher, Khachatur Avetisyan. I am always grateful to him for my professional successes. He left behind a vast creative legacy: small plays written for the kanun, large canvases, and arrangements of songs and dances for the kanun, which are still performed today. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to master Apres Vanoyan, whose tireless work, exceptional talent, dedication, and meticulousness allows us allows us to demonstrate our talent around the world with the kanun instruments he has made,” adds the renowned musician.
She noted that she attaches great importance to her solo concerts with symphony orchestras from different countries, performing concertos, symphonic suites, and other works written for the kanun instrument by Armenian composers. According to Karine Hovhannisyan, with the accompaniment of a symphonic orchestra, the kanun acquires a unique sound, merges with classical instruments, and acquires an inexplicable breath, soul, and rich tone. “I have performed as a soloist with symphony orchestras in renowned concert halls, under the direction of world-famous conductors, in the World Concerts series at Carnegie Hall and Symphony Space in New York; conductor: Laurine Celeste Fox; Pasadena Auditorium, Los Angeles, conductor: George Stelluto; in Lebanon, conductor: Harout Fazlian; in Qatar, conductor: Michalis Economou. I performed the concertos of Kh. Avetisyan’s Kanun No. 2 and Grigor Hakhinyan’s Kanun No. 1 at the Aram Khachaturian Philharmonic Concert Hall in Yerevan under the direction of conductor Ruben Asatryan.”
The professor of the Department of Armenian Traditional Singing and National Instrumental Performance Art at the Komitas State Conservatory recalls that she has released 2 CDs, which include the 2nd concerto of Kh. Avetisyan’s kanun, Komitas’ works, and arrangements of spiritual and folk works. She also recorded Komitas’ works for the Armenian Wikipedia with great love and responsibility. Karine Hovhannisyan, who has just returned from Lebanon, where she was a soloist invited by conductor Harut Fazlian, reports that she has also given concerts under Fazlian’s direction in Dubai, Morocco, and Qatar.
“Thanks to my experience, special technique, and many years of work, I am able to present the Armenian kanun in both classical and oriental styles, with symphony orchestras and musicians of oriental national instruments. It is the duty of our generation to preserve the knowledge passed down to us from our elders and pass it on to the next generation with the same purity and responsibility. I have been teaching at the Komitas State Conservatory and the Tchaikovsky Music School for many years. I am confident that the Armenian kanun performance school has a glorious present and a promising future.” Such is convinced the long-time performer of the instrument with its complex performance capabilities.
Gohar HAKOBYAN
Photos: from the archive of Karine Hovhannisyan
