SHUSHI WILL CELEBRATE ITS 15TH ANNIVERSARY AT OPERA HOUSE IN ARMENIA
By Karen Saraydarian

AZG Armenian Daily
23/01/2008

Artsakh

Shushi has several exciting performances planned for this year,
beginning with the group’s participation in Holy Martyrs 50th
Anniversary Celebration Concert in Queens, on January 27, 2008. Shushi
will have the opportunity to perform with the Holy Martyrs Hye Bar
Group, and the Shoghaken Folk Ensemble, which recently performed in
France, and will tour 23 cities in United States, including New York
City, at Carnegie Hall, on January 26, 2008.

In the spring of this year, with much anticipation, Shushi will
travel to Canada. Following a second invitation from the AGBU Montreal
Chapter, Shushi will perform at the AGBU 50th Anniversary in Canada in
Montreal (at Vanier College, Quebec), on April 12, 2008. The event,
which will be chaired by Mr. Boghos Kichian, will feature popular
vocalists from Los Angeles, Ca., Babin Boghosian, Hovig Krikorian,
Armen Hovannesyan and Salbi Mailian, with Andranik Mouradian serving
as musical director. The event will also highlight Noune Avetisyan,
for poetic recitation. In the collaboration of Mr. Kichian and Seta
Paskalian-Kantardjian, artistic director and choreographer of Shushi,
this promises to be another acclaimed event.

Shushi has planned a second performance in Canada, a Toronto debut
(at the Toronto Center for the Arts), on April 13, 2008, by invitation
from the AGBU Toronto Chapter. The program, dedicated to the Armenian
Genocide of April 24, will be chaired by Mr. Eugene Karadjian, Chairman
of the Toronto AGBU chapter, and Ms. Salpi Der Ghazarian, the Executive
Director. The program, including performances by those Armenian
popular vocalists (listed above), will be memorable in marking the
significance of the Armenian Genocide in the hearts of the audience.

This summer, with great excitement, Shushi will be traveling on a
two-week trip to Armenia and Karabagh, from June 26- July 11, 2008. The
group will perform at the opera house in Armenia, in a celebratory
event sponsored by the Armenia Fund Armenia. This special event was
organized in August, 2007 when Seta Paskalian-Kantardjian traveled
to Yerevan to meet with Mr. Vahe Aghabegians, Executive Director of
the Armenia Fund, Armenia Himnadram and Mr. Ara Vardanyan, Deputy
Executive Director of Hayasdan All Armenia Fund.

Arrangements were also made through the Director of the National Opera
and Ballet Theatre, Mr. Kamo Hovhannisyan, and Mr. Jirayr Dickranian,
the Administrative Director.

More than 50 Shushi members, along with close to 50 parents and family
members, anxiously await the tremendous opportunity to perform in both
Canada and Armenia. While numerous details are involved in assuring
the success of Shushi’s performances, its committee members remain
diligent in assisting Seta Paskalian-Kantardjian, in great appreciation
for her steadfast dedication to the group, for the past 15 years.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress