Author: Kanayan Tamar

Detroit’s Cass Tech to New York’s Lincoln Center: Hard work, perserverance
pays off for Michigan musicians

The Ann Arbor News (Michigan)
MLive.com
February 05, 2013

By Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk | [email protected]

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Hard work, talent and perseverance were the recipe
for success for violinists Ani and Ida Kavafian.

That and a little luck for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
musicians appearing at St. Cecilia Music Center on Thursday, Feb. 7,
2013.

Baptism by fire gave the two Michiganders seats among the ranks of the
one of the nation’s most eminent chamber music organizations.

As a student at The Juilliard School in the last 1960s and early 70s,
Ani Kavafian often attended Chamber Music Society concerts at Alice
Tully Hall.

`I’d look at these players and say, this is the job I wanted,’ she
recalled. `That’s the greatest job in the world.’

Ani Kavafian got to play several times as a guest and then was asked
to step in for violinist Jaime Laredo to play with pianist Richard
Goode a new piece by contemporary Czech composer Karel Husa in two
performances on a Friday and a Sunday for the Chamber Music Society.

Then she got a call from Yo-Yo Ma, and a last-minute invitation to
join him in the Brahms’ Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and
Orchestra with the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra in Connecticut on the
Saturday in between.

It’s a staple of the repertoire, but one the young violinist hadn’t
yet played before.

`I never practiced so much in my entire life,’ she recalled. `My
philosophy is you have to go through every door that’s opened to you.’

`Those were good decisions,’ she said.

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center returns on Thursday for
its second concert in its first season as partners with St. Cecilia
Chamber Music Series, directed by David Finckel and Wu Han,
co-artistic directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Seven musicians will be in St. Cecilia Music Center’s Royce Auditorium
to play music by Cesar Franck, Richard Strauss and Ned Rorem in a
program the ensemble also will perform in Chicago’s Harris Theater the
following day and in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in New York
City afterwards.

The Kavafians grew up in the Detroit suburbs of Highland Park and
Royal Oak and went to high school at Cass Tech in Detroit and studied
at Interlochen Fine Arts Camp.

`I consider myself a Michigander,’ Ida Kavafian said.

Their stepfather, Ara Zerounian, who died a few months ago, taught
public school music, mostly to elementary and middle school age
children.

`He started a lot of very successful and wonderful musicians,’ Ida
Kavafian said.

Ani Kavafian originally wanted to study music at the University of
Michigan.

`A lot of my friends were going there, and it was closer to home,’ she
said.

Her mother insisted she go to New York City to study at The Juilliard
School.

As fate would have it, the teacher she had hoped to study with at
University of Michigan died a couple of months later.

`It turned out to be the right decision,’ she said. `My mother was
right.’

Agenzia Fides, Italia
23 feb 2013

I `giusti’ del genocidio armeno

Erevan (Agenzia Fides) – Le autorità dell’Armenia hanno deciso di
riservare una sezione del museo del genocidio armeno di Erevan alla
memoria dei turchi e dei curdi che hanno salvato o soccorso gli armeni
durante i massacri pianificati da loro subiti nell’Impero ottomano nel
1915. Come appreso da Fides, il programma di restauro del museo, da
attuarsi entro il 2015, prevede una adeguata valorizzazione delle
figure dei `giusti’ turchi e curdi che durante i le stragi e i pogrom
di quasi cento anni fa protessero i loro vicini e amici armeni fino al
punto di mettere a repentaglio le loro stesse vite.

Il museo del genocidio degli armeni fu inaugurato nel 1995, mentre si
commemorava l’ottantesimo anniversario dei sanguinosi avvenimenti del
1915. Nel parco che circonda gli edifici del museo vengono piantati
alberi a nome delle personalità diplomatiche e politiche straniere e
delle istituzioni internazionali che hanno riconosciuto come tale il
genocidio armeno. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 23/2/2013).

Mediamax, Armenia
Feb 21 2013

A `virtual debate’ between Swedish FM and Armenian Foreign Ministry

Yerevan/Mediamax/. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Carl Bildt
said that “the quality of presidential elections in Armenia was well
below expectations’.

Carl Bildt twitted this commenting on the joint statement by EU High
Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Stefan Fule on
presidential elections in Armenia, Mediamax reports.

Catherine Ashton and Stefan Fule have particularly `welcomed further
progress made by the Armenian authorities in their efforts to hold
these presidential elections in line with international standards’.

Mediamax reports that the Armenian Foreign Ministry has responded to
Carl Bildt’s twit on its Facebook page.

`Carl Bildt seems to be lacking good advisors on Armenia, and
therefore the quality of information he possesses is disappointing,’
the Armenian Foreign Ministry wrote on its Facebook page.

Mediamax, Armenia
Feb 21 2013

Leaders of France, Ukraine, Iran, Lithuania, Lebanon, Slovakia, Egypt
and Israel congratulate Serzh Sargsyan

Thursday 21 February 2013 19:00

Yerevan, February 21. /Mediamax/. The presidents of France, Ukraine,
the Islamic Republic of Iran, Lithuania, Lebanon, Slovakia, Egypt and
Israel congratulated Serzh Sargsyan on his reelection as Armenian
President.

The congratulatory message of French President Francois Hollande
particularly reads:

`Accept my congratulations on your victory at 18 February 2013
presidential elections. I believe it will reinforce your will to build
a democratic, stable and prosperous Armenia living in peace with all
the neighbors. I would like to reiterate France’s support to your
efforts made in this direction.’

The President of Iran Mahmud Ahmadinejad expressed the hope that
during the second term of Serzh Sargsyan’s presidency Armenia will
develop faster.

President of Israel Shimon Peres expressed confidence that the
relations and the cooperation between Armenia and Israel will continue
to expand and strengthen.

US Secretary of State invents a new country – `Kyrzakhstan’

14:51 – 22.02.2013

In his first speech after he was appointed as US Secretary of State,
John Kerry confused the Republics of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and
referred to a non-existent country `Kyrzakhstan’.
“Brave employees of the US State Department … work in the most
dangerous places around the globe. They fight against corruption in
Nigeria. They support the rule of law in Burma, they support
democratic reforms in Kyrzakhstan and Georgia,” John Kerry said,
speaking on February 20 at the University of Virginia in
Charlottesville.
The transcript of Kerry’s speech, including his slip of the tongue,
was posted on the websites of US embassies. It was noticed by The
Global Post journalists, who suggested that before his official visit
to Israel with President Barack Obama, the chief foreign affairs
advisor should find out where exactly this `Kyrzakhstan’ was located.
On February 22, on all the official websites of the American embassies
the word `Kyrzakhstan’ in Kerry’s speech was replaced by Kyrgyzstan.

World Economic Forum: Azerbaijan has sharply deteriorated its Rating
of Competitiveness

16:24 23/02/2013 » ECONOMY

The World Economic Forum has published a new report on global
competitiveness 2011-2012 entitled `Global Competitiveness Index
2012-2013′. Azerbaijan has sharply deteriorated its position taking
the 70th place among 144 countries. While, in the last report for the
2009-2010 Azerbaijan was on the 51st place, the Azeri news agency
Turan reports.

The traditional leaders and first places went to Norway (94.8),
Switzerland (94.1), Canada (93.1), Sweden (92.9), Finland (92.5),
Singapore (92.4), Luxembourg (91, 6), the Netherlands (90.8), Germany
(89.8), and Australia (89.7). The rating was closed by Zimbabwe which
was on 142nd place (5.3), Brunei Darussalam (0) and Puerto Rico (0).

The ratings are based on statistics with publicly available
combinations and the results of a survey of company executives, an
extensive annual survey conducted by the World Economic Forum together
with its partners (leading research institutes and companies) in the
countries covered in the Report.

The main rating in Global Competitiveness Report is the Global
Competitiveness Index (GCI) which has been developed for the World
Economic Forum by Professor Sala-i-Martin and has first been presented
in 2004. GCI includes 12 pillars of competitiveness and is a universal
assessment, a kind of “competitive landscape” of countries that are at
different stages of economic development.

Azerbaijan showed the worst rates in the following spheres: Corruption
23.4, Access to financing 14.2, Inadequate supply of infrastructure
10.0, Tax rates 9.8, Inadequately educated workforce 8.9, Tax
regulations 8.3, Inefficient government bureaucracy 7.4,Poor work
ethic in national labor force 6.8.

`Pro-governmental media called the current results of Azerbaijan a
progress, without indicating the direction of the progress,’ Turan
notes.

Source: Panorama.am

The searches of the 13-year-old boy resumed
Sat, 02/23/2013 – 13:07
News

Today at 8.30 the searches of A.Badalyan, who have fallen into Hrazdan
River, next to Khachpar village, Ararat Region, resumed.

According to the information received from the Ministry of Emergency
Situations the rescue staff of Ararat Regionis implementing the
searches in the area next to Araqsavan village, and the diver-rescuers
of Sevan, Geghraqunik region near the Khachpar village.

It should be noted that on February 18 at 15.30 the Ministry received
a call according to which Arsen Balayan, 2000, have fallen into River.

Author:
Factinfo

La Voix du Nord, France
mercredi 20 février 2013

Matthieu pour le sourire d’un enfant a aidé Lilita, originaire d’Arménie

Saint-Omer – Une délégation de l’association Matthieu pour le sourire
d’un enfant s’est rendue au centre Oscar-Lambret de Lille. Le
rendez-vous était pris avec le service pédiatrie mais surtout avec
Lilita et Sushan, sa maman. Lilita est une enfant arménienne,
originaire d’Erevan, qui, durant deux mois, est soignée dans notre
région pour un cancer. L’association est intervenue suite aux
difficultés rencontrées par cette famille. Les premiers contacts se
sont déroulés dans un langage particulier fait d’un mélange de
français, d’arménien et d’anglais. Mais force est de constater que
dans un tel moment, tout le monde se comprend.

Charles Aznavour

Sushan réussissait ainsi à parler de Charles Aznavour, chanteur
d’origine lui aussi arménienne, qu’elle adore. Puis ce fut le moment
des cadeaux : Lilita a reçu avec émerveillement la grosse peluche
qu’elle attendait pour ses cinq ans. Quant à sa maman, elle s’est vu
remettre une tablette électronique pour lui permettre de dialoguer
directement en vidéo avec le papa, resté en Arménie. Emotion,
remerciements et échange d’adresses ont clos la rencontre avant que
Lilita et Sushan ne rejoignent leur hôtel d’accueil. « Nous ne
pouvions rester insensibles car c’est la vocation de notre association
», déclarait Martine Huguet, présidente de Matthieu pour le sourire
d’un enfant, prouvant par ailleurs que la solidarité n’a pas de
frontière. L’association se tient à la disposition de toute famille
qui se trouve dans une situation similaire. Elle accueille également
toute personne qui souhaite s’investir bénévolement suivant les
objectifs définis par ses statuts. Enfin, l’association étant reconnue
d’intérêt public, particuliers et entreprises peuvent bénéficier
d’exonération fiscale. Pour plus de renseignements sur nos activités
ou nous contacter, consulter le site :

PENTAGON GROUNDS F-35 FIGHTERS OVER ENGINE PROBLEM

02:40 23/02/2013

WASHINGTON, February 22 (RIA Novosti) – All flight operations of the
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter planes have been suspended
over an engine problem discovered on one of the aircraft, the US
Department of Defense (DoD) said on Friday.

According to the DoD, a routine engine inspection on Tuesday revealed
a crack on an engine blade of the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine installed
in F-35A aircraft operating at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

“As a precautionary measure, all F-35 flight operations have been
suspended until the investigation is complete,” the DoD said in a
statement on its website.

The suspension involves 17 aircraft undergoing testing and 34 in use
for training in Florida and Arizona, and marks another setback for
the Pentagon’s most troubled and expensive weapons program.

In January, the Pentagon grounded 25 F-35B planes, the Marine Corps
variant with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability, due to
a manufacturing defect on one of the aircraft.

F-35s have been grounded before over electrical system problems.

The F-35 is currently still being tested, but low-rate initial
production is already underway, with full-rate production due to begin
around 2016. The Pentagon wants to procure a total of 2,443 F-35s.

According to the latest Government Accountability Office report,
the F-35’s per unit cost has almost doubled since the inception of
the Joint Strike Fighter program in 2001

ANALYST: DISSEMINATION OF ARMENIAN NEWSPAPER BY TURKISH AIR CARRIER IS AN ILLEGITIMATE AND IRRESPONSIBLE GESTURE

Trend, Azerbaijan
Feb 22 2013

Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 22 / Trend /

Dissemination of an Armenian newspaper by Turkish Airlines to
its passengers is a continuation of the absolutely absurd and
irresponsible gesture from President Gul to Serzh Sargsyan hastily
congratulating him on his re-election to the Armenian presideny,
Trend Expert Council member, Western University professor, political
analyst Fikret Sadikhov said.

“Certain circles in Turkey have decided to go further and demonstrate
that they care about national minorities, particularly Armenians living
in the country, and have begun distributing this newspaper in flight,”
the politician told Trend on Friday.

Turkish Airlines (THY) began distribution of the Agos Armenian daily
newspaper on board of its flight to passengers, Turkish media reported.

If those involved in this action aim to mitigate the situation or
attract some Armenian Diaspora organizations or persuade Armenia to
abandon the 1915 issue or renounce territorial claims against Turkey,
these attempts are futile, the analyst said.

Such methods and steps don’t garner political capital and important
political issues are not solved in this way, he said.

According to Sadikhov, such steps cause great sorrow both in Turkey and
Azerbaijan, Surely, Turkey will not be able to achieve some positive
results by such actions.

“Turkey should not have been so quickly in its recognition of Sargsyan
as president. Officials in Turkey are now talking about forms of public
civility, but it could have been done later and in a different form,
there was no need for a hasty congratulation to the man, whose hands
are stained with the blood of Azerbaijanis, on the eve of the 21st
anniversary of Khojaly events,” the analyst said.

President Abdullah Gul congratulated Serzh Sargsyan on his presidential
reelection.