A screen capture of "Rerooted," premiering on June 4

Armenian-American composer Joseph Bohigian announced the premier of a new piece, titled “Rerooted,” which features the recorded testimonies of Syrian-Armenians who have resettled in the Republic of Armenia since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War.

The composition will receive a virtual premiere on Saturday June 4 at 11:00 a.m. PST. The piece will feature an original video by artist Kevork Mourad, born in Qamishli, Syria, and performed by the Argus Quartet.

“Rerooted” traces the journeys of over a dozen Armenian families through interviews conducted by the Rerooted Archive, from their expulsion from the homeland during the genocide in the early 20th century to the rebuilding of their lives and community in Syria, their displacement during the civil war in their adopted home, and their resettlement in the Republic of Armenia.

The piece explores the complicated process of “rerooting” a community that is defined by exile and the realities of being displaced over and over again.

According to Bohigian, his idea for the piece came from the increasing Syrian presence he saw in Armenia over the course of his trips there since 2012, whose Western Armenian culture reminded him of home when the “homeland” felt foreign. This grew into a collaboration with the Rerooted Archive, who shared audio from their over 200 interviews with Syrian-Armenians documented since 2017.

The virtual premiere of Rerooted with music by Joseph Bohigian and video by Kevork Mourad will be held on Saturday June 4 at 11:00 a.m. PST.

For more information on the Rerooted Archive, please visit the website, or contact Joseph Bohigian at josephbohigian@gmail.com.