"A MUSICAL JOURNEY TO ARMENIA" ENCHANTED THE AUDIENCE!
Setrak Kazanjian, Montreal

AZG Armenian Daily
03/04/2007

March 11, 2007 will remain a memorable day for the Armenian Community
of Montreal. A capacity crowd was on hand at the prestigious
Claude-Champagne Hall to witness an unprecedented concert dedicated
to mark the centennial of the Armenian General Benevolent Union.

In her opening remarks Dr. Rita Kuyumjian, as chairperson of the
Montreal Chapter, stressed AGBU’s relentless contribution to the
educational and cultural development throughout the world.

Artistic Director Garo Nichanian conceptualized and realized a unique
program in which the FACE Symphony Orchestra played under its Musical
Director Theodora Stathopoulos. Immediately they embraced the audience
by brilliantly performing the orchestral pieces by composers such
as A. Babajanian, G. Yeghiazarian, A. Ajemian, etc. In addition,
the program included the first movement of A. Khachaturian’s violin
concerto, played skilfully by the young Robert Margaryan, as well as
selections from the popular Mascarade Suite.

For a great majority of the audience, it was the first time in their
lives to experience such beautiful Armenian orchestral works!

The second part of the program was dedicated to popular Armenian songs
accompanied once again by the FACE Symphony Orchestra, this time under
the baton of accomplished Armenian composer Konstantin Petrossian,
who also composed the orchestral arrangements beautifully for all the
songs on the program that were premiered at this concert. These were
popular estradayin songs about life, love, passion and heroism that
were interpreted tastefully, vividly and authentically by remarkable
singers Yeghishe Manucharyan (tenor), Noune Karapetian (soprano)
and Garo Nichanian (bass-baritone), all enchanting and captivating
the audience immediately by their enveloping warmth. The United
Armenian Choir of Montreal (Dir. Varujan Margaryan) participated in
the last few works which closed the event with the beautiful coral
piece Yerevan-Erebouni (E. Hovhannesian), making this concert an
unprecedented Armenian musical event in Canada, while celebrating
the centennial of AGBU.

This concert has aroused such a great interest that a member of the
audience said "this concert took us all, mentally and spiritually to
levels that I do not recall having ever reached here in Montreal,
and feel so much as being Armenian"….it will surely go down in
the annals of Canadian cultural life as an important achievement,
thanks to all the participants and the Montreal AGBU Chapter.
From: Baghdasarian