Author: Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

In case of intensive ceasefire violation by the enemy, MoD will issue a relevant message

Emil Lazarian

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 16:22,

YEREVAN, APRIL 15, ARMENPRESS. On the evening of April 14, between 19:00 and 23:00, the Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire in the direction of the Sotk mine. On the morning of April 15, the shooting resumed, as a result of which a decision was made to stop the operation of the mine and evacuate the employees due to safety reasons, "GeoProMining Gold" company representative Ruzanna Grigoryan told ARMENPRESS.

"At the moment, the situation is calm, there are no shootings, but the work of the mine remains suspended," she said.

ARMENPRESS also established contact with Aram Torosyan, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, in order to obtain official information.

"In case of any intense violation of the ceasefire by the adversary, the Ministry of Defense will issue a corresponding message," the spokesperson emphasized.

Criticism of Russia and the CSTO by the Armenian authorities

Emil Lazarian
  • JAMnews

Criticism of CSTO by Armenian authorities

After the refusal of the Russian military bloc CSTO to help Armenia in May 2021, when the country’s authorities for the first time announced the invasion of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces into its sovereign territory, the question of the effectiveness of the organization had already arisen. Yet they tried to avoid talk of withdrawing from the Collective Security Treaty Organization. On the contrary, the country’s leadership has repeatedly suggested that, perhaps, “the CSTO is leaving Armenia.”

The “Caucasian Knot” has prepared a report on what happened in recent years, how Armenia reacted to the inaction of Russia and its allies in the CSTO military bloc, acting under its leadership. What follows are excerpts.

  • “Russia’s military presence does not guarantee the security of Armenia” – Pashinyan
  • “Staying with Russia is a greater risk for Armenia than alliance with the US.” Opinion
  • Mirzoyan-Lavrov meeting in Moscow

Nikol Pashinyan accused the CSTO of not properly responding to the actions of the Azerbaijani military in the Sotk-Khoznavar sector in May 2021.

On May 27, on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the Sotk-Khoznavar section, six Armenian soldiers were taken prisoner while performing engineering work. Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan regarded this as a kidnapping, since the soldiers were on their territory. Since May 12 the Azerbaijani armed forces have advanced several kilometers deep into the sovereign territory of Armenia and still have not retreated, despite Armenia’s demands.

“The way the CSTO reacted to what happened was a failure for the organization itself. Contrary to existing procedures, the CSTO has not yet decided to conduct monitoring at the site, justifying the long-standing fears of the Armenian public that an organization important for the security of Armenia will not do anything at the right time,” Pashinyan said in the spring of 2022.

Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan stated in September 2022 that Yerevan expects “military and military-political assistance” from the CSTO, but is not receiving it. According to Grigoryan, Armenia needs support from the CSTO to protect its own sovereignty and withdraw the Azerbaijani Armed Forces from Armenian territory. “This was our demand to the CSTO, and it has not yet been fulfilled. Naturally, this does not satisfy us,” Grigoryan said.

A day before the CSTO summit in Yerevan, the political scientist presented his view on Armenian-Russian relations, the expediency of membership in the CSTO, Armenia’s to reform the army and establish new military partnerships.

If Russia and other allies do not begin to fulfill their obligations, Armenia may withdraw from the CSTO, Pashinyan said in September 2022. “To put it differently: there are fears that Armenia will leave the CSTO, and my answer was that there are fears that the CSTO will leave Armenia. This is not a play on words,” Pashinyan said.

In September 2022 Pashinyan accused the Kremlin of “speculating on facts” with respect to Armenia and voicing “excuses” instead of real actions.

According to Pashinyan, during the discussion of security issues in the CSTO, he received clear assurances that the Armenian border was a “red line” for the organization, but “it turned out that red lines exist only in words.”

“This is important not only for Armenia, but also for the CSTO. After all, if you say that there is no border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, then there is no CSTO, because the CSTO has a zone of responsibility, which is defined by borders. If there is no border, then there is no area of responsibility, if there is no area of responsibility, then there is no organization,” Pashinyan said.

Criticism of CSTO by Armenian authorities

Personae non gratae in Armenia – On the banning of Margarita Simonyan and Aram Gabrielyanov, Russian journalists of Armenian origin

On November 23, 2022, Pashinyan refused to sign the declaration of the Collective Security Council (CSC) of the CSTO and the draft decision on assistance to Yerevan. The reason was a lack of a clear political position of the organization on the issue of Azerbaijan’s actions. At a CSTO summit, Pashinyan reiterated that, despite the guarantees of collective protection, Armenia was subjected to armed aggression by Baku.

“Over the past two years, Armenia has been subjected to aggression by Azerbaijan at least three times. It is depressing that Armenia’s membership in the CSTO did not deter Azerbaijan from aggressive actions and that, in fact, until today we have not been able to reach a decision on the CSTO’s reaction to this aggression. These facts cause great damage to the image of the CSTO both inside and outside our country,” Pashinyan said.

He added that he considers the lack of reaction of the CSTO to the actions of Azerbaijan the main failure of Armenia’s presence in this organization. He recalled that during mass protests in Kazakhstan in January 2022, it took the CSTO only one day to reach a decision on the deployment of troops, and this largely helped to extinguish the unrest and avoid a coup.

70 Armenian servicemen went to Kazakhstan as part of the CSTO peacekeeping contingent dispatch to Kazakhstan, causing an outrage in Armenia which never recieved aid from the bloc depsite several appeals

On November 27, 2022, the CSTO offered Armenia a set of support measures. After analyzing them, Pashinyan stated that

  • they “do not contain specifics and political assessments” of the escalation of the conflict on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
  • without these assessments, the CSTO observers have nothing to do on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

“The aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia from May 2021 to September 13, 2022 was doubly painful because our security allies left us alone, preferring to remain in the status of a passive observer or offering the status of an active observer as an alternative,” Pashinyan said.

According to him, Armenia expects two things from the CSTO — the definition of the CSTO’s area of responsibility and a clear assessment of Azerbaijan’s actions on the border with Armenia.

“We are offered assistance, including military-technical assistance. First, it is not clear what kind of assistance is being offered. In addition, to accept this assistance without clear assessments would mean accepting the status quo that exists on our borders. To accept the monitoring mission of the CSTO without clear assessments from the CSTO will mean fixation and resignation to the status quo,” Pashinyan concluded.

Criticism of CSTO by Armenian authorities

About the meeting with the participation of Putin in Yerevan and the protest taking place in parallel with the CSTO summit

In December 2022, at a meeting of the Armenian Cabinet of Ministers, Pashinyan criticized the Russian peacekeeping corps for failing to fulfill its obligations, as a result of which a long-term blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh became possible. “Of course, this is due to the actions of Azerbaijan, but this does not change the meaning. This is the key meaning of the presence of Russian peacekeepers – not to allow illegal actions and to keep the Lachin corridor under control,” he said.

At a meeting with Putin on December 27, 2022, Pashinyan again recalled the responsibility of Russian peacekeepers.

“The Lachin corridor has been blocked for almost 20 days. This is the area of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh. And I want to remind you that according to the tripartite statement of the presidents of the Russian Federation, Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia, the Lachin corridor should be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. The Republic of Azerbaijan guaranteed the unhindered passage of passengers and cargo along the Lachin corridor. And now it turns out that the Lachin corridor is not under the control of Russian peacekeepers,” Pashinyan said.

Since December 12, 2022, Nagorno-Karabakh has been deprived of communication with the outside world due to the blocking of the Lachin corridor. Azerbaijani activists block the highway in the presence of Russian peacekeepers. 120,000 people have been living under blockade for more than three months, and food shortages have forced the authorities to introduce food stamps for basic necessities.

“If it turns out that Russia, for objective or subjective reasons, is unable to fulfill its obligations, it should apply to the UN Security Council either with a request to endow the Russian military contingent with an international mandate, or send a new multinational peacekeeping mission to Nagorno-Karabakh,” he said. his criticism of Pashinyan’s peacekeepers in January 2023.

“No one denies that the Russian peacekeepers today ensure the safety of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, but we also have facts when the Azerbaijanis violated the agreements in the area of responsibility of the peacekeepers, for example, in Parukh, but did not see any reaction from them. In the absence of a reaction, it turns out that the military presence of Russia not only does not guarantee the security of Armenia, but, on the contrary, creates threats to the security of Armenia,” the prime minister said.

Criticism of CSTO by Armenian authorities

On a recent message from the Russian Foreign Ministry on the upcoming EU civilian mission to the Armenian border

On December 27, 2022, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan stated live on Public Television that Azerbaijan’s invasion of the sovereign territory of Armenia on September 13, 2022, as well as the closure of the Lachin corridor, fit into the framework of Russia’s pressure on Armenia.

According to Grigoryan, this is precisely the reason for the crisis in the Armenian-Russian relations, which has been clearly expressed in recent times. Grigoryan also for the first time confirmed the statements of some Armenian deputies that Russia is forcing Armenia to join the union state. Grigoryan stated that Armenia resists this desire of a strategic ally and receives a response in the form of military pressure.

Interview with Armen Grigoryan for Azatutyun radio on the preconditions for resolving the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan

In January 2023, Nikol Pashinyan stated that Yerevan considers it inappropriate to hold CSTO exercises in Armenia. “The Ministry of Defense of Armenia has already informed the CSTO Joint Headquarters in writing that we consider it inappropriate to conduct exercises in Armenia in the current situation. These exercises in Armenia, at least this year, will not take place,” he said.

On March 13, 2023, Armenia refused to nominate a representative for the post of deputy head of the CSTO 15. On March 14 at a press conference, Pashinyan said that Armenia would agree to the appointment of its representative to the post of deputy secretary general of the CSTO if it was sure that this would strengthen its security. “We will agree that if this position does not come out that we are sending the wrong message to our people, if this will be another factor for security. If this does not happen, then we do not see the point in this position,” the prime minister said.

Commenting on the possibility of Armenia’s withdrawal from the CSTO, Pashinyan replied that the Armenian side would be guided by state interests in this decision. “As for the CSTO. I spoke publicly. It’s a matter of points of view. Can we say that Armenia will leave the CSTO? Perhaps the CSTO will leave Armenia? Or does this whole situation indicate that the CSTO intends to withdraw from Armenia? We are guided by the state interests of Armenia when clarifying, maintaining or changing our position on any issue,” Pashinyan said.

“When the CSTO Secretary General arrived in Armenia in 2022, he told me that the CSTO was concerned that Armenia would leave the organization. I said that this concern is out of place, but there is another concern that the CSTO may withdraw from Armenia. My assessment now is this: the CSTO, willingly or not, is leaving Armenia. And this worries us,” Pashinyan repeated his message.

Criticism of CSTO by Armenian authorities

Armenia refused the quota for the post of Deputy Secretary General of the CSTO. What does this mean and what could be the consequences? Political observer Hakob Badalyan does not believe that Armenia will have to “pay dearly” for this decision

Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturian also talked about the problems in Armenian-Russian relations.

“Armenian-Russian relations are at a strategic level, and Russia is the guarantor of Armenia’s security, but, unfortunately, we have had problems lately, especially after the events of September 13, 2022. The September attack was made precisely on the territory of Armenia, Russia and the CSTO were supposed to provide military assistance to Armenia. Azerbaijan advanced nearly 10km in different places, and this was the case when both the CSTO members and Russia had to provide us with military assistance,” Khachaturian said.

According to him, in Yerevan Russia was also expected to take political actions at that time. “Neither one nor the other has happened yet. Of course, in fairness, it should be noted that Russia also participated in the negotiations on the cessation of hostilities, but US Secretary of State Blinken, French President Macron and the head of the EU Parliament Charles Michel also took an active part in them,” Khachaturian noted in January 2023.

On February 24, 2023, Armen Grigoryan called “non-recognition of the borders of Armenia by the CSTO” as a serious problem.

“As you know, the CSTO does not recognize the borders of Armenia, and there is a serious problem here, because if there is no border, there is no responsibility. We raised this issue and hope that at some point this issue will be resolved,” Grigoryan said.

He recalled that in accordance with the Almaty Declaration, which is taken as the basis for resolving the issue of delimitation and demarcation, the administrative borders of the former Soviet republics are accepted as interstate borders.

“And here we can clearly say that there is a border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Perhaps a certain part is not demarcated, and we do not know where the line clearly runs, but it is a matter of a few meters. And the sovereign territory of Armenia with an area of 29,800 square meters. km is known. If there is a will, then this territory can be protected. But the lack of will makes it impossible to protect Armenia,” he added.


https://jam-news.net/criticism-of-csto-by-armenian-authorities/

Second Azerbaijani soldier captured in Armenia

Emil Lazarian
 

ByIsmi AghayevandAni Avetisyan

The second of two Azerbaijani soldiers who entered Armenia last week after allegedly getting lost has been captured. A video shared on social media shows the soldier stating that he ‘shed Armenian blood’, while another shows him being beaten by Armenians after capture. 

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry announced that two Azerbaijani soldiers, Agshin Babirov (born in 2004) and Huseyn Akhundov (born in 2003) got lost due to poor visibility and poor weather from the border area between Nakhchivan and Armenia ‘a few days’ before 10 April. 

According to independent Azerbaijani outlet Meydan TV however, the uncle of one of the soldiers claimed they went missing on 5 April. 

The first soldier, Huseyn Akhundov, was found and detained on 10 April by residents of the village of Ashotavan, in Syunik Province. Agshin Babirov was found on Thursday near the village of Achanan, around a 90 kilometre walk from Ashotavan and 40 kilometres from the border with Nakhchivan. 

Rumours that the soldier was responsible for the murder of a 56-year-old security guard at the Kajaran copper-molybdenum mine in Syunik on Wednesday started circulating online shortly after his capture.

People from the village where the soldier was captured and the head of the Kajaran community, Manvel Paramazyan, told RFE/RL that the murdered guard’s phone was found on the Azerbaijani soldier. 

According to Paramazyan, the guard had received seven gunshot wounds. 

However, Armenian law enforcement agencies have stated that while investigation of the murder is underway, they have no information yet suggesting that the Azerbaijani soldier was connected to the incident. 

Both Azerbaijani soldiers are being held at the police department in Kapan, Syunik. 

Shortly after the second soldier’s capture on Thursday morning, two videos spread widely online. The first allegedly showed Babirov live-streaming from Syunik.

‘By God, we have arrived in Armenia’, says Babirov in the video. ‘We have spilled the blood of Armenians […] If we die, you should know that we are not traitors to the country.’ 

Azerbaijani pro-government media claimed the video was old, from before the soldiers became lost. 

The second shows the soldier on the ground, tied up and being kicked in the face. Images of the soldier around the time of his detention also showed him with blood and bruises on his face, with some shared on Azerbaijani social media appearing to show his captors holding knives while he lies tied on the ground. 

Footage of the soldier’s mistreatment sparked discussion in Yerevan and Baku. 

Diplomatic missions in Baku immediately condemned the incident, with the US Embassy in Baku stating that it was ‘disturbed by a video appearing to depict violence against an Azerbaijani soldier in Armenia’ and urging Azerbaijan and Armenia to resolve outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations. 

The British Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Fergus Auld, added that ‘such treatment is unacceptable under international humanitarian law [and] must be condemned’. 

A number of Armenian civil society activists also condemned the soldier’s mistreatment.

‘While it's important to hold those responsible for the infiltration and murder accountable, it's equally important to recognise that violence toward prisoners is never justified. The mistreatment of the captured Azerbaijani soldier by locals must be addressed’, Andranik Shirinyan, project coordinator for Freedom House in Armenia, wrote on Twitter. 

Some Armenians who condemned the violence argued that forbidding such treatment of Azerbaijani military personnel would allow Armenia to demand that Armenian prisoners of war be treated humanely. 

Since the end of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in November 2020, an unconfirmed number of Armenian soldiers captured in Nagorno-Karabakh have been held in Baku. Azerbaijan acknowledges the capture of at least 30 prisoners, but has not confirmed the exact number, or how many remain alive.

On Thursday, Azerbaijan’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons appealed to international organisations to ensure the soldiers’ release. 

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry called the footage an example of violence on ethnic grounds by Armenia, and called for ‘relevant international organisations’ to investigate and evaluate the violence, ‘including the violence committed by Armenia against Azerbaijani prisoners of war and civilian prisoners, and 3,890 missing Azerbaijanis over the past 30 years’. 

Breaking a three-day silence from Armenia’s government and law enforcement agencies regarding the Azerbaijani soldiers’ capture, Prime Minister Pashinyan claimed on Wednesday that the first soldier said that they had fled the army. 

‘A soldier of the Azerbaijani army simply ran away from their positions with his comrade due to pressure and humiliation from other comrades’ Pashinyan said during a meeting in parliament.

Pashinyan also stated that the second soldier, who was then still being searched for by law enforcement agencies, had decided to return to Azerbaijan. 

The Prime Minister added that an investigation was needed to discover how the soldiers were able to cross the border. 

He added that the captured serviceman had ‘not yet expressed his desire to return to Azerbaijan. When he tells us [that he does], the issue will be discussed’. 


Mirzoyan presents to Lavrov the details of the provocation of the Azerbaijani side in Tegh village

Emil Lazarian

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 18:19,

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a private conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on April 14. The meeting took place within the framework of the session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the CIS held in Samarkand.

ARMENPRESS reports, the interlocutors discussed issues related to regional security and stability.

The Foreign Ministers exchanged views on the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, border delimitation and border security, unblocking of all economic and transport links in the region, and the Nagorno Karabakh issue.

Ararat Mirzoyan presented the details of the provocation carried out by the Azerbaijani armed forces on April 11 in the Tegh village of Syunik Province of Armenia, noting that it was another manifestation of the aggressive policy of Azerbaijan.

Reference was made to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh resulted by the four-month-long blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan. The need to end the blockade of the Lachin Corridor in accordance with the obligations assumed by the trilateral declaration of November 9, 2020 was emphasized.

During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers also referred to issues of the bilateral agenda.

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office discussed Lachin Corridor in Baku

Emil Lazarian

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 16:15,

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani said he raised the Lachin Corridor issue during his visit to Azerbaijan on April 12.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan, Osmani said that his first activity as OSCE CiO was a phone conversation with Mirzoyan on the Lachin Corridor.

“Then we organized a special Permanent Council meeting in Vienna where we invited Minister Mirzoyan to present his views related to the Lachin corridor, and third I opened this issue as I raised numbers of humanitarian issues in Baku yesterday as I’m going to raise them today in order to see is there a space for bridge building between the two countries. This is our role as OSCE, a platform of permanent dialogue between countries in order ensure permanent peace. So, we’ve been engaged and we will continue to be engaged since this is the theme, as I said, of our chairmanship to focus on the people and their need on the ground particularly humanitarian related issues.”

New Ombudsperson meets staff

Emil Lazarian

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 11:57,

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, ARMENPRESS. The newly elected Human Rights Defender of Armenia Anahit Manasyan held a meeting with the staffers of the Human Rights Defender’s Office on April 14. Manasyan’s predecessor Kristinne Grigoryan also attended the meeting.

In her remarks, Manasyan said that assuming office is a great honor for her and that she’s happy that Grigoryan is also attending the meeting.

“An institutional approach towards the structure is highly important both for me, for Ms. Grigoryan and all our colleagues. Thus, it is important for us to show, also symbolically, the need for preserving the constantly improving traditions that developed since the formation of this institution,” Manasyan said.

Grigoryan congratulated Manasyan on being elected as Human Rights Defender.

“I wish you all the best. I will always care for this institution. I will be happy and proud of your successes,” Grigoryan said.

Situation near Tegh village since March 31 requires “thorough investigation”, says Pashinyan

Emil Lazarian

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 11:31,

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Thursday that the situation in the Tegh village section since March 31, which was caused parallel with the deployment of Armenian and Azerbaijani border guards, requires a thorough investigation.

“Regarding the situation in the section of Tegh village since March 31, I think the situation requires a thorough investigation, including in terms of assessing our actions regarding taking the mentioned part of the state border under protection from the beginning,” the PM said.

PM Pashinyan described Azerbaijan’s action in the area as “provocative” and said that Azerbaijan contradicts the 6 October 2022 Prague and 31 October 2022 Sochi statements.

Misinterpretations of maps used in deployment of border guards from both sides of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border in the Tegh-Kornidzor section resulted in Azerbaijani authorities taking positions and conducting engineering works without awaiting the pre-planned adjustments. The Azerbaijani side took positions ranging from 100 to 300 meters deep into Armenian territory in five different locations. An agreement was reached for cartographers to clarify the positions. However, on April 11, Azerbaijani troops ambushed Armenian units near the village of Tegh in an unprovoked attack. Four Armenian troops were killed and six wounded.

Second Azeri soldier found and taken into custody by Armenian authorities

Emil Lazarian

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 13:18,

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS. The second Azerbaijani servicemen who crossed into Armenian territory on April 10 and was missing since then was found and taken into custody by Armenian authorities on April 13, the Ministry of Defense announced Thursday.

“On April 13, the second Azerbaijani servicemen was found and arrested in the territory of the Republic of Armenia,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

An Azerbaijani soldier was detained in Armenia on Monday after crossing the border. He claimed to have crossed into Armenia together with another Azerbaijani serviceman.

On April 12, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said that the Azerbaijani soldier detained in Armenia on Monday deserted his unit after being ill-treated by his Azerbaijani comrades.

Nordica Trio to perform in Maine for Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day

Emil Lazarian
 Guest Contributor Music, Announcements 0

Nordica Trio (Photo: Wohler & Co)

PORTLAND, Maine—The Nordica Trio will be performing live in concert in commemoration of Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day at the Portland Conservatory of Music (PCM) on Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. The Armenian Cultural Association of Maine (ACAME) is co-presenting the concert with the PCM as part of an initiative to share and expose the vibrant music of other cultures with the Portland community. 

A limited number of tickets are available ($20 advance, $25 door, $5 student). Advance ticket sales will end at noon on April 23. Remaining tickets will be available at the door on a first come, first served basis.

On Tuesday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m. all are invited to participate in a virtual conversation with the Nordica Trio hosted by Carolyn Nishon, executive director of Portland Symphony Orchestra and board member of ACAME.

The Nordica Trio brings together a beautiful harmony of violin, clarinet and piano music performed respectively by Graybert Beacham, Karen Beacham and Martin Perry. Since its debut in 1993, the trio has been enthusiastically received by audiences in Maine and beyond. This concert also will feature a world premiere of an exciting new work, inspired by Armenian folk music, written for the Nordica Trio by Maine composer and PCM Jazz Studies director Titus Abbott.

Recently, the managing director of Somm Recordings in the United Kingdom approached the trio to record a CD for the label. The managing director was particularly impressed with a live recording of the Nordica Trio’s performance of Bela Bartok’s “Contrasts.” Moreover, the CD will include works by Armenian composers along with the Bartok “Contrasts.” Looking ahead, recording sessions are planned for August 2023.

The Nordica Trio will perform works by Armenian composers Aram Khachaturian, Alexander Arutiunian and Alan Hovhaness as well as the world premiere of the piece by composer Abbott during the concert on April 23, which will honor the memory of the 1.5 million Armenian victims of the 1915 genocide by Ottoman Turkey.

About the Nordica Trio

Martin Perry has distinguished himself as a consummate interpreter of contemporary classical piano music, with appearances across the United States and abroad from the Boston Pops to the Moscow Philharmonic. His three recent CDs on Bridge Records featuring the works of Carter, Bartók, Ives and Hindemith have drawn raves from the critics, calling his playing “supremely assured” (International Piano), “commanding and virtuosic” (Clavier) and “quite dazzling!” (American Record Guide). In a lighter vein, as musical director and pianist for Stephen Sondheim’s musical Marry Me A Little, he can be heard on the best-selling RCA Red Seal cast recording. Closer to home, Perry has appeared as concerto soloist with the Portland Symphony Orchestra on many occasions, served on the piano faculties of Bowdoin and Bates Colleges, and enjoyed numerous collaborations with the DaPonte String Quartet and the Nordica Trio (member since 2008). A native Californian and proud Armenian American, Perry is a graduate of the Juilliard School, where he studied with the renowned pedagogue Adele Marcus.

Karen Beacham has been active as a performer across the United States and internationally. She has held the position of principal clarinet with the Mexico City Philharmonic, Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería in Mexico City and the Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra. She has appeared as soloist with Mel Tormé and the Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra, Maine Chamber Ensemble, Colby Symphony Orchestra, University of Maine at Farmington Orchestra and Mid-Coast Symphony. Chamber music collaborations include both the Portland and DaPonte String Quartets. Karen has participated in numerous festivals, including the Sunriver Music Festival in Oregon, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, Sebago-Long Lake Region Chamber Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, New College Music Festival and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival/Yale School of Music. She has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, performs regularly with the Portland Symphony Orchestra and serves as principal clarinet for the Maine State Ballet Orchestra. Faculty affiliations include Colby College, the University of Maine at Farmington and most recently at the University of New Hampshire for the 2022-23 fall semester. Beacham received her bachelor of music in clarinet performance from Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts as a student of Donald Montanaro, and a master of music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music as a student of Harold Wright, principal clarinetist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Other major teachers include Peter Hadcock, William Wrzesien and George Silfies. She is a founding member of the Nordica Trio.

Graybert Beacham has been an active performer and teacher throughout the United States and internationally. He was the recipient of the Dr. Jerome Gross Prize in Violin at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he received both a bachelor of music and master of music in violin performance as student of David Cerone. Other teachers include Bernhard Goldschmidt (principal second violin, Cleveland Orchestra) and Emanuel Borok (concertmaster, Dallas Symphony). Graybert has been a member of the Mexico City Philharmonic, Tulsa Philharmonic (principal second violin), Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería and Kansas City Philharmonic.  He has also served as acting concertmaster of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jaime Laredo and as concertmaster and soloist for the Cascade Festival of Music in Oregon. Beacham was violin soloist with the New Sousa Band during their tour of China. He has collaborated with the Portland String Quartet as both a violist and guest first violinist. He serves as concertmaster for the Maine State Ballet Orchestra and has performed as both violinist and violist in various capacities with the Portland Symphony Orchestra over the past 30 years.  Recorded performances have been broadcast over public radio stations across the United States and Mexico. Beacham has been a member of the violin/viola faculty of the University of Southern Maine and Colby College. He has recorded for Albany Records where he can be heard on a disc of compositions by Maine composer Peter Ré. He is a founding member of the Nordica Trio.

The Armenian Cultural Association of Maine was founded in 2003 by a group of Mainers who wished to preserve the history and culture of a unique branch of the Armenian diaspora.

The Portland Conservatory of Music provides access to quality music education and performances for community members of all ages, abilities and financial levels.