How Komitas Preserved Armenian Folk Music

Cara Rosehope

In the 1990s, the duduk found its way into movie soundtracks, radio playlists and record collections of the west. Yet as Cara Rosehope writes, the music of Armenia’s national instrument might never have survived the Armenian genocide were it not for Komitas Vartabed—a priest, musician, composer and so much more.

Dilijan Chamber Music series' "Celebrating Mansurian"

Mark Swed

 

Tigran Mansurian, Armenia’s most celebrated composer, will turn 75 this month and the Dilijan Chamber Music series will celebrate Sunday [January 12, 2014) afternoon at the Zipper Concert Hall of the Colburn School with a survey of the Mansurian’s chamber music over the past half century. It will be, no doubt, a joyous occasion, what with the composer present and Dilijan, which is devoted to Armenian music, being among Mansurian's most important of champions in America.