PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (E.)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: prl@armeniandiocese.org
Website: <;

September 12, 2005

8-CITY TOUR OF AWARD-WINNING YOUTH TROUPE FROM
ARMENIA SHAPING UP FOR OCTOBER DEBUT

Eastern Diocese & AGBU Co-sponsoring “A Mosaic of
Music, Dance & Performance” to Honor 1600th Anniversary of Armenian Alphabet

* * *

This fall Armenians in North America will be treated to a glimpse of
the promising artistic future of their homeland, when a troupe of more
than 60 young performers will tour the eastern U.S. and Canada. The
young artists, ages 10 to 19, will bring to life a variety of Armenian
art forms–song, dance, instrumental music, dramatic recitation,
gymnastics and acrobatics–in what has been called an “Armenian Cirque
du Soleil.”

The gifted youth from Armenia’s AGBU-sponsored “Holy Etchmiadzin Nork
Children’s Center” will visit eight North American cities under the
sponsorship of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
and the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU).

Billed as a “A Mosaic of Music, Dance and Performance as Vibrant as
Armenia,” the tour will debut in New York City’s Town Hall on Sunday,
October 9, and will then proceed to performances in Richmond, VA;
Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; Racine, WI; Boston, MA; and Montreal,
Canada (for two performances); before concluding in Toronto, Canada,
on October 30. (Tour details appear below.)

The Diocese and AGBU are sponsoring the Nork Children’s Center
performers to commemorate the 1600th anniversary of the Armenian
alphabet. Co-chairing the organizing committee are Hrant Gulian (for
the Eastern Diocese) and Anita Anserian (for the AGBU), with officials
of the Canadian Diocese organizing the tour’s final leg through their
country.

The young performers are already well known in Armenia, where they
play to enthusiastic capacity crowds, and have won awards in European
festivals. This will be their first exposure to American audiences.

With a combined enrollment of 3,500 students, ages 7 to 19, and an
administrative staff of 300, the three Children’s Centers in Yerevan
provide a constructive, after-school environment for young Armenian
students to nurture their talents and broaden their knowledge in
courses unavailable to them at overcrowded public schools. With daily
instruction in music, art, crafts, dance, computers, language, history
and gymnastics, the centers have truly had a positive impact on a new
generation of Armenians. The centers are funded by AGBU and run by the
Holy See of Etchmiadzin.

The following performance dates and venues for the “Mosaic of Music,
Dance and Performance,” featuring the Nork Children’s Center
Performers, have been confirmed. See individual listings in the
Armenian press for further details. Please be aware that itineraries
are subject to change.

NEW YORK CITY–NORTH AMERICAN DEBUT: Sunday,
October 9–Town Hall, 3:00 p.m. For info/tickets
contact the Eastern Diocese, (212) 686-0710, or AGBU, (212) 319-6383.

RICHMOND, VA: Wednesday October 12–Short Pump
Middle School, 7:00 p.m. For info/tickets contact
St. James Armenian Church, Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan,
(804) 282-3818, derhovsep@stjamesva.org.

WASHINGTON, DC: Friday, October 14–Rockville
High School, 7:00 p.m. For info/tickets contact
St. Mary Armenian Church, Fr. Vertanes Kalayjian,
(202) 363-1923, wedfund@aol.com; or Louisa
Baghdassarian, (301) 468-7669, lbaghdas@ui.urban.org.

CHICAGO, IL: Sunday, October 16–Regina Dominican
High School, 4:00 p.m. For tickets contact
(Search: MOSAIC) or
(800) 838-3006. For general info contact St.
James Armenian Church, (847) 864-6263.

RACINE, WI: Tuesday, October 19–St. Catherine’s
High School, 7:00 p.m. For info/tickets contact
St. Mesrob Armenian Church, Fr. Yeprem Kelegian,
(262) 639-0531; or Abraham Ouzounian, (262) 880-1277, aouzounian@tds.net.

BOSTON, MA: Friday, October 21–Watertown High
School, 7:00 p.m. For info/tickets contact St.
James Armenian Church, (617) 923-8860; or Holy
Trinity Armenian Church, (617) 354-0632; or Garo Salibian, (781) 439-2762.

MONTREAL, CANADA–TWO PERFORMANCES: Sunday,
October 23, 7:00 p.m., AND Monday, October 24,
8:00 p.m.–Salle Claude Champagne. For
info/tickets contact the Canadian Diocese, (514)
276-9479; or AGBU Montreal, (514) 748-2428.

TORONTO, CANADA: Sunday, October 30–time and
location to be announced. For info/tickets
contact AGBU Toronto, (416) 431-2428; or Salpi
Der Ghazarian, (416) 754-0218; or Lena Ouzounian, (416) 441-6763.

–9/6/05

E-mail picture available on request.

PHOTO CAPTION: More than 60 young artists from Armenia’s Nork
Children’s Center will present “A Mosaic of Music, Dance and
Performance,” touring eight North American cities from Oct. 9 through
30. The tour is being sponsored by the Eastern Diocese and AGBU, to
honor the 1600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet. Confirmed
stops include New York, Richmond, Washington, Chicago, Racine, Boston,
Montreal, and Toronto.

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