YerazArt Young Musicians from Armenia to Embark on United States Tour

April 26- May 11, 2007

Boston, MA: The YerazArt Foundation, a Boston-based 501 c (3) non-profit arts organization, will send its critically acclaimed YerazArt Young Musicians from Armenia group on tour for a series of ten concerts in eight cities across the Unites States from April 26- May 11, 2007. Eight prodigious musicians from the ancient South Caucasus nation will present the music of their culture in a blend of indigenous folk music and Western classical music. The aim of the tour is to connect North American audiences with one of the world’s oldest musical legacies in addition to giving an opportunity for the YerazArt musicians to experience the thrill of concert stages across the world. Cities included on the tour are Boston (2 shows), Santa Fe, Albuquerque (2 shows), Austin, Houston, San Francisco, Fresno, and Los Angeles.

“The spring 2007 tour will focus on Armenia’s brightest young talents in addition to the folk and classical traditions of their homeland, “ stated YerazArt Executive Director Raffi Meneshian. “ For all of the musicians, this tour is especially exciting as they many will be performing in the United States for the first time. On the other hand, it’s always interesting for me to see the shocked reactions of audience members as teenagers from Armenia transform themselves into accomplished concert musicians onstage. Almost no one leaves with a dry eye”.

Partially inspired by Yo Yo Ma’s “Silk Road Project”, the YerazArt performance has distinct lineage to the groundbreaking project initiated by the internationally renowned cellist. Fifteen year old YerazArt duduk player (an Armenian oboe made of apricot wood) Harutyun Chkolyan is the protégé of duduk master Gevork Dabaghyan, a featured “Silk Road Project” participant and leader of the Armenia’s Shoghaken Ensemble. Dabaghyan’s prized student was spotted as early as age six by the duduk master in the hardscrabble Armenian town of Gavar. Since then, Chkolyan has gone on to win various regional competitions and master the clarinet, shvi (Armenian flute), and zourna ( Also known as a Mizmar or European Shawm). Most recently, Chkolyan was featured as the standout musician in a rousing performance at the Massachusetts State House in 2006 where he was met with a standing ovation from the House Chamber audience. His entire family moved to Armenia’s capital city Yerevan in order to have him study with Dabaghyan, resting their hopes on his success. For this tour, Chkolyan will perform solo as well as lead the YerazArt Armenian Folk Trio featuring Anahit Dilbaryan on the kanoon (Armenian zither) and ethnographic folk singer Serine Poghosyan.

Another rising start to watch is fourteen year old piano sensation Nara Avetisyan. A frequent prize winner (Greece, Italy, Armenia), Avetisyan hails from Yerevan and is a member of the Trio YerazArt, an ensemble featuring cellist Gayane Khachatryan and violinist Lilit Khachatryan. In 2006, Avetisyan appeared as a soloist with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra performing the first movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s titanic Piano Concerto No. 2. Frequently cited for her sensitive approach combined with a rare ability to tackle to most difficult of piano repertoire, Avetisyan follows in the footsteps of a well respected stable of pianists including Armen Babakhanian, the controversial 5^th place winner of the Ninth International Van Cliburn Competition (1993). The cross- cultural concert approach will also display the skills of Gor Melkumyan and Meri Khojayan on the trumpet and violin respectively performing miniatures and encore favorites by Schubert, Brahms, and Paganini.

The YerazArt musicians will be also be performing works of rarely heard Armenian composers such as Arno Babajanian, Khachatur Avetisyan, Sergei Barkhudaryan, and Edward Baghdasaryan. Music by icons such as Komitas, Aram Khachaturian, and Sayat Nova will also be performed.

Please visit www.yerazart.org for details on ticketing and how you can support the program.

************************************************************************

The concert tour is sponsored in part by the YerazArt Foundation, a 501 c (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to promote, encourage, and support talented young local Armenian musicians by providing them concert tours, master classes with internationally known teachers, support in international competitions, tuition relief, and musical instrument purchase program. YerazArt was co-founded in 2004 by entrepreneurs Noubar Afeyan (Flagship Ventures) and Raffi Festekjian (PCi Wiz). In 2006, CEO/Founder of Pomegranate Music (www.pomegranatemusic.com) Raffi Meneshian was hired as Executive Director with Komitas String Quartet and Hover Chamber Choir Manager Arman Padaryan on board as Armenia Country Director. The Musical Director of the 2007 Spring YerazArt tour is well established Armenian pianist Anahit Nersesyan.

************************************************************************

NOTES:

-The Armenian duduk became a mainstream “exotic” instrument when Peter Gabriel sampled duduk master Vatche Hovsepyan’s “A Cool Wind is Blowing” and turned it into the “The Feeling Begins”, the first track off of Martin Scorcese’s “Last Temptation of Christ” soundtrack entitled, “Passion”.

-The Armenian duduk can now be heard on television shows such as “Battlestar Galactica”, “Sleeper Cell” and “The Shield” in addition to dozens of other shows. In the world of cinema, movies such as “Gladiator”, “The Russia House”, and “The Passion of the Christ” have incorporated the sound of the Armenian duduk.

Photo Credit: Zaven Khachikian

Hello Everyone. Welcome to our initial blog posting regarding the YerazArt Young Musicians from Armenia. I accepted the position of Executive Director of the YerazArt Foundation in February of 2006 and have been working with our counterparts in Armenia for over a year now in helping give prodigy musicians an outlet to display their talents on the concert stage in North America. YerazArt was co-founded in 2004 by Noubar Afeyan and Raffi Festekjian. Our Armenia country director is Arman Padaryan, who also manages the Komitas String Quartet and the Hover Chamber Choir of Armenia.