Jesús Calleja of Spanish Cuatro TV and his team have traveled to Armenia for the new episode of the Plana Calleja program. Featuring world-famous Armenian violinist Ara Malikian, the episode was broadcast on April 27.

During his trip on Planeta Calleja, Ara Malikian tell how his grandparents had to flee Armenia in 1915 because of the genocide that the country suffered: “It was a time of trouble all over the world, with the First World War and all against all, where no one controlled what was happening in Armenia. All my paternal family died except my grandfather. On my mother’s side, my grandfather was a kind of hero and saved his whole family.”

Speaking about his career as violinist, Ara says “I have been playing the violin since before I was born because my father was obsessed with me playing it.”

he further explains: “In his family there was a violin that would have saved my grandfather’s life during the genocide. When he was 15 they killed his entire family and he saved because a European band of musicians left him a violin so he could pretend to be part of the band. He pretended to be a musician and was able to run away with them.”