NYSEC Showcases Young Performing Artists at Carnegie Hall, Raises Close to $40,000 for AGBU Scholarships

On Saturday, October 24, 2009, the AGBU New York Special Events Committee (NYSEC) held its second AGBU Performing Artists in Concert, which showcased the talents of a group of outstanding young Armenian musicians. The sold-out event was held at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in Manhattan.

As with the inaugural concert held last year, this celebration of music saluted the impressive artistic achievements attained by the various performers in their respective fields. The featured musicians were all recipients of AGBU scholarships towards their studies in the performing arts, which has allowed them to be educated at some of the world's most well-respected and prestigious conservatories and universities, including the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Komitas State Conservatory, Yale University, Mannes College of Music, Boston Conservatory, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and the Royal College of Music. The success of last year's Debut Concert allowed NYSEC to contribute to future Performing Arts grants. Thanks to the generosity of AGBU's family of friends and the Armenian community at large, this year's benefit performance raised close to $40,000 for the newly established AGBU Performing Arts Fellowship Program. "It gives me great pleasure to contribute to your organization and to actually experience the talented musicians it helps support and promote. Bravo!" expressed notable benefactor Paul Khoury.

Under the artistic direction of brothers Hrant and Kevork Parsamian, twelve performers collaborated to prepare a distinguished repertoire of music celebrating Armenian and other classical composers, including Babajanian, Khachaturian, Shostakovich, and Schumann. "It was an honor and pleasure to organize the benefit concert for the AGBU," expressed Hrant Parsamian. "As much as it was challenging to put such an event together, thanks to the tremendous help of the AGBU and its New York Special Events Committee, it was a rewarding experience and a great way of helping the next generation of students. I am looking forward to being part of future events and concerts where I can give back something to the community that has helped me so much in the past." The concert also featured the US premiere of 19-year-old Gevork Badalian's composition based on five folk songs from the Armenian Genocide, compiled by Verjine Svazlian. Residing in Armenia, the young Badalian has won the top prize at the Ghazaros Sarian Competition, and his works have been performed at various Armenian festivals. Svazlian is an ethnographer and folklorist who has dedicated her life to finding and documenting memoirs and songs of historical characters narrated by eyewitness survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

The twelve performing artists were comprised of three violinists: Monika Chamasyan of Virginia, Nazig Tchakarian of New York, and Viktoria Tchertchian of Massachusetts; two cellists: Hrant and Kevork Parsamian, both of New York; two violists: Aleksandr Nazaryan of New York and Anoush Simonian of New Jersey; two pianists: Marina Chamasyan of Virginia and Varta Tchakarian of New York; a flutist: Stepan Dadourian of New York; a marimbist: Sylvie Zakarian of Massachusetts; and an opera singer: soprano Natalie Aroyan of Sydney, Australia.

The event was organized by the AGBU NYSEC Committee, chaired by Nila Festekjian and Sossy Setrakian, and included Anita Anserian, Carol Aslanian, Betty Cherkezian, Maral Hajjar, Hilda Hartounian, Maral Jebejian, Gacia Mangassarian, Vesna Markarian, and Vera Setrakian. Performing Artists in Concert contributors included graphic designer Alex Basmagian and coordinator Natalie Gabrelian of the AGBU Central Office.

NYSEC committee member and AGBU Central Board Member Carol Aslanian noted the importance of the concert in raising awareness about AGBU's Scholarship Program and the AGBU Performing Arts Fellowship Program in particular. "I think the audience was thrilled to see the range of talent among these extraordinary students." She continued to comment on the overall evening and audience, which was attended by AGBU President Berge Setrakian and his wife Vera, as well as Ambassador Garen Nazarian, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the United Nations, and his wife Siranoush. "I think it was a wonderful opportunity to have such an extraordinary audience. We had many leaders of the Armenian community and people active in various organizations, and I think these young people were very proud to display their talents to such a prestigious audience, who in turn will want to find and develop further ways to assist talented and motivated youth. So to them, this really was a gesture of future opportunity."

In addition to its mission to raise awareness among the public, the event also offered a rare opportunity for performers to work with fellow musicians and reconnect with their cultural roots. Performer Sylvie Zakarian, who plays the marimba and is originally from Bulgaria, shared her sentiments on the evening. "It's always very exciting to play in front of an Armenian audience, and since my instrument is not very popular among Armenians, I was so grateful for the opportunity. I felt the audience was coming along for the experience. It was so wonderful to be on stage in front of such a receptive group of people." She also commented on the AGBU Scholarship Fund, adding, "AGBU was instrumental in helping me with the scholarship and with my decision on whether I could make it in the United States. I am entirely grateful to AGBU, they have been wonderful, and there are so many others who have similar stories to mine and feel the same way."

For decades, AGBU scholarships have been awarded to tens of thousands of talented students of Armenian descent who are studying in the performing arts and have demonstrated excellence in their chosen fields. These awards enable recipients to reach their potential, laying the foundation for their future, as they celebrate their heritage and identity. Those who would like to make a contribution to the AGBU Performing Arts Fellowship Program to help sustain and support the enhancement of future Armenian musicians may contact AGBU by phone, 212-319-6383, or email, scholarship@agbu.org.