WORLD-RENOWNED KOHAR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR PERFORMS IN FIRST-EVER NORTH AMERICAN TOUR THIS FALL
KarabakhOpen
18-09-2007 13:31:06
KOHAR Tours the U.S. and Canada, Performing in Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Detroit, Chicago, Boston, Toronto, Montreal and New York’s
Carnegie Hall
LOS ANGELES – August 28, 2007 – KOHAR, an internationally acclaimed
symphony orchestra and choir based in Gyumri, Armenia, will grace the
U.S. and Canada for the first time in an eight-city North American
tour, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Chicago, Boston,
Toronto, Montreal and New York. (Details listed below.)
KOHAR is comprised of 150 performing artists, musicians, choral
singers, soloists, dancers, and a pantomime, fusing the sounds of
Armenian culture and heritage with classical music. KOHAR Symphony
Orchestra & Choir is the only symphony orchestra that integrates
symphonic-jazz music with traditional Armenian instruments to generate
Armenian folkloric music in a modern rendition. Together with the
most favored Armenian patriotic and popular songs, the program has
been trademarked or branded as "All Time Armenian Favorites".
With audiences throughout the Near East and Europe and fans worldwide,
KOHAR Symphony Orchestra and Choir has performed in Beirut, Lebanon;
Nicosia, Cyprus; Istanbul, Turkey; and Moscow, Russia.
KOHAR Symphony Orchestra & Choir’s DVD was bestowed the Intermedia
Award during the World Media Festival in Hamburg, Germany in 2004.
KOHAR also received the Anoush Achievement Award during the seventh
annual Armenian Music Awards, held at the Hollywood Palladium in
California in May 2005. The award was presented to KOHAR for its
contribution to Armenian culture, which is exemplified in the All
Time Armenian Favourites DVD.
Less than 20 years ago, on December 7, 1988, eighty percent of Gyumri
lay under rubble, as a devastating earthquake hit Armenia, nearly
demolishing the city of Gyumri and killing 10,000 inhabitants. The
brothers Khatchadourian of Lebanon-Harout, Shahe, and Nar-prompted
by their hearts and able to give generously, provided much-needed
assistance to a city that still lacked permanent housing and employment
opportunities.
The brothers did more than revive a shattered economy, they nurtured
talent and excellence as well, and in the process helped to revive a
downtrodden city’s spirit, as they established the KOHAR Music School
for gifted children, founded in 1997, in honor of their parents Kohar
and Aram. The school was built in an old factory where the finest
musicians were hired as instructors, using top-of-the-line instruments
and classrooms furnished with the most modern equipment. In only
three years, the school gave birth to a symphony orchestra and choir,
under the artistic direction of Maestro Sebouh Abkarian of Cyprus.
CITIES, DATES AND LOCATIONS OF KOHAR’S AMERICAS TOUR INCLUDE:
Los Angeles Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 8:15 PM Gibson Amphitheatre
Universal CityWalk Universal City, CA 91608
Detroit Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at 8:15 PM Max M. Fisher Music
Center Detroit, Michigan 48201
Boston Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 8:15 PM Colonial Theatre Boston,
Massachusetts 02116
Montreal Sunday, November 18, 2007 at 8:00 PM Place des Arts – Salle
Wilfrid-Pelletier Montreal, Quebec, CANADA H2X 1Y9
San Francisco Friday, October 26, 2007 at 8:15 PM Nob Hill Masonic
Center San Francisco, CA 94108
Chicago Thursday, November 1, 2007 8:15 PM Harris Theater Chicago,
Illinois 60601
Toronto Friday, November 16, 2007 8:15 PM Toronto Centre for the Arts –
Main Stage Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M2N 6R8
New York Tuesday, November 20, 2007 8:15 PM Carnegie Hall – Isaac
Stern Auditorium New York, NY 10019
Tickets ($25 – $150) are on sale now at each venue box office, via
Ticketmaster, Ticket fusion (SF only) and KoharConcert.com. Groups
of 100+ may be eligible for a 10% discount, subject to availability.
For details, visit or call 323-469-7356.