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PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
AGBU & Hamazkayin’s "Hantiboum" Artistic Evening Attracts 500 to a
Celebration of Armenian Culture in the Bay Area
On April 19, 2009, 500 people from the Armenian community of San
Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area attended a grand cultural
celebration called "Hantiboum" at the Bayside Performing Arts Center in
San Mateo, California. Jointly organized by AGBU Silicon Valley and the
Nigol Aghpalian Chapter of Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural
Association, the artistic program "Hantiboum" was crafted by Avetis
Berberyan and Noushig Mikayelian.
Avetis Berberyan is a graduate of Yerevan’s Tchaikovsky Musical Academy
and Komitas Conservatory. From 1993 to 2000, he was director of the
concert tour division of the AGBU-sponsored Armenian Philharmonic
Orchestra. Noushig Mikayelian is an accomplished poet and singer, who
has studied at the Komitas Conservatory and currently teaches Armenian
language and music at Krouzian-Zekarian-Vasbouragan Armenian School in
San Francisco.
The concert began with Komitas’s "Hov arek," followed by the resonant
poem "Karnanayin" (Vernal) of Noushig Mikayelian. Other featured
compositions included works, performances, music and artistic
contributions by Alexander Ajemian, Khachatur Avetisian, Arno
Babajanian, Armen Babakhanian, Edward Baghdasarian, Avetis Berberyan,
Lutfig Dourian, Gevorg Emin, Nune Esayian, Alexander Harutiunian, Hovig
Hoveyian, Yeghishe Manucharian, Kate Fox Marcom, Greg Mazmanian, Natasha
Middleton, Sarkis Najarian, Garig Pantourian, Shushan Petrosian,
Aramayis Sahakian, Arsen Seropian, and Arsen Seropian.
Pupils of the Krouzian-Zekarian-Vasbouragan Armenian School participated
in the concert with an emotional rendition of "Hayrenikis hed" (With My
Fatherland) by Hovhannes Toumanian and a poem by their teacher Noushig
Mikayelian, which was accompanied by music prepared by Avetis Berberyan.
Proceeds from the performance went to support the ongoing educational
and cultural efforts of AGBU and Hamazkayin.
Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian program, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.