The Gurdjieff Ensemble Connects New York Audiences to Komitas with a Unique Twist

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Website: www.agbu.org
  
PRESS RELEASE
  
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
  
THE GURDJIEFF ENSEMBLE CONNECTS NEW YORK AUDIENCES TO KOMITAS WITH A UNIQUE 
TWIST

The Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at New York's renowned Symphony Space was filled 
with applause as hundreds of Komitas enthusiasts, Armenian and non-Armenians 
alike, stood to their feet for an encore from the critically acclaimed 
Gurdjieff Ensemble on the night of Friday, September 27th. The concert, 
organized by AGBU's Performing Arts Department (PAD) in celebration of Komitas' 
150th Anniversary, was the second stop in the Ensemble's American debut tour, 
performing only one day after appearing before a packed house at the World 
Music Festival in Chicago. 

The performance was planned with AGBU's PAD's mission in mind to support and 
present emerging and established artists as well as continuing its initiatives 
to connect rich Armenian art to diverse audiences. Akin to Komitas, composer 
and spiritual leader G.I Gurdjieff, the namesake of the Ensemble, travelled the 
world collecting and preserving ethnographic melodies. With over a century 
separating Komitas and audience members, the Ensemble's concert linked people 
from all over New York to the rich cultural legacy of Armenian music. 

The AGBU PAD has been proudly collaborating with the Gurdjieff Ensemble since 
2013 through AGBU's Musical Armenia Program (MAP), which connects students to 
the best Armenian musicians in Yerevan. Director Hayk Arsenyan was excited to 
present the Gurdjieff Ensemble because of its unique approach of interpreting 
Komitas' music. "The concert was programmed to showcase American music spanning 
thousands of years," Arsenyan noted,  "from the pre-Christian dances of Msho 
Shoror to the 10th century music of St. Gregory, and later the music of 
Gurdjieff and Komitas." 

Lusine Grigoryan, one of Armenia's most preeminent pianists, captivated the 
audience with her piano performance, which was showcased to mirror the 
Ensemble's performance of piano works. Musical Director Levon Eskenian 
explained that most of the original music of Gurdjieff was composed for the 
piano, thus the Ensemble was faced with the challenge of interpreting piano 
notes to an assortment of different instruments. Yet, it tackled this challenge 
with grace and spirit, using traditional Armenian instruments such as the tar, 
kamancha, duduk, zurna, oud, and kanon. Aramayis Nikoghosyan, oud player of the 
Ensemble, added his own spin by including the kshots, the flabellum used in the 
Armenian Divine Liturgy (Badarak), emphasizing the spiritual elements of 
Gurdjieff's traditions.

Not only were audience members taken through a voyage through time, they were 
also taken to various regions of the world. The program featured music from 
Karin, Mush, and other areas of Asia. 

Moments of haunting duduk notes were juxtaposed with vibrant percussion sounds 
of the tmbuk, taking the audience on an expedition through the vast extent of 
Armenian music. "There is a new language in classical music based on Armenian 
music and instruments," Eskenian remarked. 

The Gurdjieff Ensemble did indeed share this new language with audience 
members, as many musicians took turns using several different Armenian 
instruments in the span of one song. In total, 16 different instruments were 
used in their performance, illustrating the harmonious expertise of each 
musician.

Msho Shoror, the final work performed before the encore, was originally "an 
ancient piece from seven traditional dances that thousands danced to in the St. 
Garabed Monastery, which is no longer standing, explained Eskenian. The 
Monastery predates Christian times and later became an important pilgrimage 
site. "Though the monastery was destroyed, we still have the music."

Evidently, attendees left with a lingering connection to the music of the 10th 
century and the historic melodies preserved through the genius of the Gurdjieff 
Ensemble.
  
The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world's largest non-profit 
organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, 
cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a 
difference in the lives   of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the 
Armenian diaspora.  Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: 
to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more visit 
www.agbu.org.