CHOOKASIAN ARMENIAN CONCERT ENSEMBLE GETS THE OUD OUT
Fresno Bee
Feb 21 2013
By Donald Munro – The Fresno Bee
Do you know what an “oud” is?
If you answered an 11-string lute, then you know your pear-shaped
string instruments.
And if you aren’t familiar, you can get a great introduction to the oud
at Friday’s performance of the Chookasian Armenian Concert Ensemble
at the Pilgrim Armenian Congregational Church. Here’s a rundown on
the concert:
The ensemble: Led by Fresno clarinetist John Chookasian, the group
includes conservatory-trained musicians playing the kanun (72-string
lap harp), d’hol (cylindrical hand drum), dumbeg (hourglass-shaped
hand drum), deff (large-frame drum), duduk (Armenian flute) zurna
(village flute) and violin along with vocals.
Guest artist: New York musician John Tarpinian will perform on the oud.
The repertoire: The ensemble plays traditional Armenian songs and
dances of Eastern and historic Western Armenia.
The awards: The ensemble’s many honors include a first-place award for
Best Traditional Armenian Folk Music Album at the 2010 International
Armenian Grammy Awards and a National Gold Medal awarded by the
government of Armenia.
The dedication: The concert is dedicated to the late Rev. Bernard
Guekguezian. Proceeds will go to the new Bernard Guekguezian
Scholarship Fund.
The details: 7 p.m. Friday, Pilgrim Armenian Congregational Church,
3673 N. First St. Information: (559) 229-2915, chookasian.com
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Badalian Vardan. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2013/02/23/chookasian-armenian-concert-ensemble-gets-the-oud-out/