Author: Kanayan Tamar

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Monday, October 13, 2008

Camp Nubar Celebrates 45 Years of Memories and Friendship

October 2008–On September 13, over 200 guests from several generations
gathered in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood to celebrate Camp Nubar’s
45th anniversary. The affair was held at the trendy downtown
Mediterranean restaurant, Thalassa, where guests enjoyed time with camp
friends while they sampled an array of Greek delicacies and European
wines.

Pictures from 1963 down to the present were scattered about the room in
displays specially prepared for the event. A wide array of silent
auction prizes, including restaurant gift certificates, designer
couture, a flat-screen television, a diamond ring and sports tickets,
were available for bidding by guests. Various camp alumni even created
artwork in honor of the event to be raffled as prizes. For many, it is
said, once the Camp Nubar spirit is part of you it never leaves.

For most guests, the highlight of the evening was time spent with
friends both old and new, while reliving memories from summers at camp.

"The 45th-anniversary event was a great success! It gave me a chance to
reconnect with my ‘Camp Nubar family,’" said former camper and counselor
Rob Eden. "There were many people I hadn’t seen in over 10 years, and we
had a chance to relive memories which I’ve never forgotten."

Campers and counselors, both young and old, told stories, remembered the
past and talked with excitement about the camp’s future. Some families
were represented at the event with three generations of Camp Nubar
alumni.

"The event spanned generations–grandparents, baby-boomers and the
younger set—all came together to celebrate our beautiful camp," said
Andrea Halejian, whose mother, mother-in-law, husband and children all
attended the anniversary celebration. "Many memories were recalled
because for so many of us, our early camp days established friendships
we still enjoy today."

As friends gathered, the evening proved to be a great success and the
money raised from the silent auction and commemorative booklet will go
towards purchasing a new motor boat and making repairs on several cabins
in time for the 2009 season.

"For many people, their closest and dearest friendships began at Camp
Nubar and have lasted four decades," said committee chairman Mardi
Merjian. "It is a pleasure for all of us to give back to the same place
where it started and we take pride knowing that it is still going strong
and constantly improving."

The next Camp Nubar event will be a winter reunion (details to follow).
Pictures from Thalassa are available for viewing online at

Founded in 1963, AGBU Camp Nubar is a first-rate modern facility that
has been highly ranked by the American Camp Association, American Red
Cross, and American Academy of Pediatrics. For more information about
AGBU Camp Nubar, please visit , email
[email protected], or call 212-319-6383.

For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT GRANTS TITLES OF HONORABLE ARTISTS TO K. STANISLAVSKI ACTRESS IRA HARUTYUNIAN AND ACTOR ARMAN GHAZARIAN

ARMENPRESS
Oct 13, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 13, ARMENPRESS: On the occasion of the 70th
anniversary of K. Stanislavski Russian State Theatre President of
Armenia Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree October 9 on granting titles
of honorable artists to the actress of the theatre Ira Harutyunian
and actor Arman Ghazarian for their contribution to the consolidation
of Armenian-Russian cultural ties, presidential press service reported.

THE ALMANAC

Times of the Internet
Oct 10, 2008
Ohio

In 2007, a U.S. Foreign Relations Committee resolution labeled as
genocide Turkey’s killing of some 1.5 million Armenians during World
War I.

Turkish leaders responded by threatening to pull their support from
the war in Iraq.

MUSIC REVIEW: ISABEL BAYRAKDARIAN AT HERBST
Joshua Kosman, [email protected]

San Francisco Chronicle
Monday, October 6, 2008
USA

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many conservatory-trained
composers turned to their native folk traditions for inspiration,
collecting songs and dance melodies from the countryside and recasting
them in classical form. Bartok is the best-known example, but another
was the Armenian priest Gomidas Vartabed, whose music formed the
centerpiece of Saturday night’s transfixing recital by soprano Isabel
Bayrakdarian.

During the years before and after 1900, Gomidas (whose name is
sometimes transliterated as Komitas) assembled a large body of
traditional Armenian songs and arranged them for choir or solo voice
with piano accompaniment. They cover the gamut of folk expression,
from lullabies and love songs to moody reveries and vivacious jokes,
and to the unfamiliar listener they sound both comfortable and strange.

Bayrakdarian, the brilliant Armenian Canadian singer who has shone
here in music by Mahler, Handel and Jake Heggie, has made a project
of Gomidas’ songs in partnership with her husband, pianist Serouj
Kradjian. Saturday’s program, presented in Herbst Theatre by San
Francisco Performances, was a wondrous showcase for singer and
composer alike.

Accompanying Bayrakdarian was the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, an
excellent string ensemble conducted with crispiness and verve by Anne
Manson. Kradjian was on hand as a piano soloist for some numbers,
and Hampic Djabourian played the duduk, a traditional Armenian
double-reed instrument whose deep, mellow sound is like that of a
bassoon on Quaaludes.

But the evening’s main focus was Bayrakdarian herself, whose vivid,
dark-hued tone and sumptuous phrasing imbued every piece of music with
warmth and urgency. Her singing reached great heights of oratorical
splendor when necessary, but the simplicity of some of the more
straightforward songs was equally touching.

What’s striking about this material is how unpredictably the musical
elements go in and out of sync with Western expectations. Some of the
numbers, like the tiny "Song of the Partridge," are uncomplicated
ditties that draw on the same tonal harmonies of any European folk
song. Others venture off into distinctive melodic scales, as in the
"Lullaby," or unusual metric patterns, as in "Without a Home."

Kradjian’s arrangements of the songs for string orchestra are superbly
resourceful – sometimes answering the music’s twists and turns
with surprises of his own, sometimes content to serve as backdrop
to Bayrakdarian’s lustrous vocal turns. In one of the more overtly
dramatic songs, "The Crane," he inserted an eloquent solo for the
concertmaster, beautifully delivered by violinist Karl Stobbe.

Gomidas’ music represented the main body of work on the
program, but there were other offerings too that complemented it
nicely. Bayrakdarian delivered a majestic account of Ravel’s "Two
Hebrew Melodies," and Manson led the orchestra in three handsomely
varied sets of ethnomusicological dances.

Bartok’s "Romanian Folk Dances," arranged by Arthur Willner, led
off the evening in a spirited reading. They were followed later by a
set of "Greek Dances" by Nikos Skalkottas and, after intermission,
by the central movement of Gideon Klein’s "Partita for Strings"
(an arrangement of his String Trio), which is based on a Moravian
folk song.

LAVROV: RUSSIA NOT TROUBLED BY ARMENIA-NATO RELATIONS DEVELOPMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.10.2008 14:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia is not troubled by development of the
Armenia-NATO relations, RF Foreign Minister said.

"It’s not dangerous that NATO and its partners combat
challenges. Russia maintains the existing format of relations with
all member states of the Alliance. If NATO develops the way it says,
we do not see any menace," Sergei Lavrov told a news conference today.

He also said that Russia welcomes development of trade and economic
relations between Armenia and Georgia and hopes that the agreements
achieved by governments of both states will help to avoid crisis.

"WE SHOULD BE ARMED WITH PATIENCE"

A1+
[04:41 pm] 03 October, 2008

"Good morning," the Danish coach of the Armenian National football
team Yan Poulsen today greeted Armenian journalists in their mother
tongue. It is already nine months Mr. Poulsen has been in Yerevan.

The main theme of today’s meeting was the Armenian football team,
its achievements and the forthcoming matches.

The Armenian football team will host the Belgian team on October
11. The Armenia-Bosnia match is scheduled for October 15 within the
framework of the World Cup-2010.

"Romik Khachatrian and Karen Dokhoyan are invited to play at the
meetings," said Poulsen.

Pouslen is displeased with the team’s results during the
qualifiers. "The team didn’t justify our expectations and lost to
Turkey and Spain. We should further improve our skills trying to avoid
the previous mistakes. The teams of Belgium and Bosnia have medium
abilities. Our footballers should do their utmost to demonstrate
their abilities to the full. Armenia usually scores a goal with
great difficulties and we should try to break with this tradition,"
Pouslen underlined while speaking about the teams’ shortcomings.

The Danish specialist says we should look at things with open
eyes. "Armenia can only compete for the 4th and 5th places in the
subgroup. Spain ranks the first in the subgroup, followed by Turkey,
Belgium and Bosnia. Actually, we pretend to the 4th or 5th place."

Asked why he hadn’t expressed the opinion earlier, Poulsen said, "About
three months ago a reporter asked me whether the Armenian football
team can reach the final. I said that I doubted but didn’t exclude
the possibility. We have a good team and should play excellently at
each meeting and the fortune will favour us. Yet, it is difficult to
play excellently during ten recurrent meetings.

Pouslen called for optimism and urged football fans not to get
disappointed and criticize our footballers after each defeat. "There
are only eight teams in Armenia. If we construct a house we lay the
foundation first. The same is in football. Therefore, we should be
armed with patience."

MONITORING COMMITTE MAKES ITS STATEMENT

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
03 Oct 2008
Armenia

In its session convened yesterday, the PACE Monitoring Committee
made a statement on Armenia’s compliance with the requirements of
Resolutions # 1609 and 1620.

According to David Haroutyunyan, Head of the Armenian delegation in
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the statement
is mainly based upon the report submitted by Thomas Hammarberg,
Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe.

In particular, the Committee expresses concerns over the issue that
the expected result has not yet been achieved; it touches upon the key
points introduced by the Commissioner in his report and reiterates the
requirements expressed therein. Those requirements almost coincide
with the ones enshrined in PACE Resolutions # 1609 and 1620. "It is
mentioned that the committee will once again touch upon all these
issues. In the meantime, it is also mentioned that the committee
trusts the Commissioner and requests him to submit his assessment
during the session to be held in December," D. Haroutyunyan said.

Before that, the Committee envisages the Commissioner’s visit to
Armenia.

ARMENIA GREETS IDEAS TO ESTABLISH SECURITY IN THE REGION

Panorama.am
20:35 03/10/2008

The initiative of Ankara to create Security Caucasian Platform is
based on establishing stability, security and cooperation, announced
the Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan and added that not
a single country can act against such ideas.

The Foreign Minister said that yet there are many gaps concerning
the implementation, participants and mechanisms of the platform.

"In general Armenian side greets any idea to contribute to the
establishment of stability and security in the region," said
Mr. Nalbandyan.

RUSSIE-AZERBAIDJAN: RATIFICATION DE LA DECLARATION SUR L’AMITIE ET LE PARTENARIAT STRATEGIQUE

RIA Novosti
16:04 | 02/ 10/ 2008
Russia

International

BAKOU, 2 octobre – RIA Novosti. Le parlement azerbaïdjanais a ratifie
jeudi la Declaration sur l’amitie et le partenariat strategique
Azerbaïdjan-Russie, rapporte l’agence News-Azerbaïdjan.

Le document prevoit le renforcement de la confiance et du partenariat
strategique entre l’Azerbaïdjan et la Russie, et la contribution a
la paix et a la stabilite dans la region.

Une grande importance est attachee a l’assurance de la securite
energetique globale.

Les parties ont pris l’engagement de regler le conflit du Haut-Karabakh
pacifiquement, en conformite avec les principes du groupe de Minsk de
l’OSCE, les normes du droit international, et les principes d’integrite
et d’inviolabilite territoriale.

La Russie et l’Azerbaïdjan ont convenu de lutter ensemble contre toute
manifestation du terrorisme, du separatisme, de l’extremisme, ainsi
que contre le trafic de stupefiants et la criminalite transfrontalière.

La Declaration sur l’amitie et le partenariat strategique
Azerbaïdjan-Russie a ete adoptee le 3 juin 2008 a Bakou.

–Boundary_(ID_6HWn45/Tn9eRiARjPQrngA)–

US SUPPORTS PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

TREND Information
03.10.08 11:37
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 3 October/ TrendNews, corr N. Abdullayeva/ The United
States supports peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
John Negroponte, deputy US Secretary of State said at a meeting with
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Baku.

"The talks between the sides of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must
be accelerated," he said.

Negroponte stated Azerbaijan’s important role as a producer country
and transit of energy resources.

Mammadyarov stated that Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can only be solved
within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Minister said occupied
lands of Azerbaijan must be freed and internally displaced persons
must return to their homes.

The meeting also focused on current bilateral cooperation between the
sides. The parties stressed that the ties between Azerbaijan and US
are on high level.