YerazArt Tour Information

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.

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.

For more information, please visit www.yerazart.org

Photo Credit: Zaven Khachikyan