Remembering the Armenian Genocide: An Encounter Through Music

WORCESTER, Mass. – The newly founded Armenian Students’ Association (ASA) at the College of the Holy Cross will host a memorial and charitable concert, titled “Pour Toi, Arménie (For You, Armenia),” on Sunday, April 19 at 4 p.m. in Seelos Theater. In observance of the international Armenian Martyrs’ Day held annually on April 24, the concert will offer a novel way of remembering the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, namely through Armenian musical tradition. Headlining the event is John Berberian, one of the finest oud (lute) virtuosos in North America. Tickets are $10 for Holy Cross students and children under 12, and $15 for the general public. All ticket sale proceeds will be donated to Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) in an effort to help the region of Gumri, Armenia which remains impoverished in the wake of a devastating earthquake in 1988. CDs will also be available at the concert, and a portion of the proceeds from the sales will be donated to FAR.

The concert will also feature performances by notable musicians Mal Barsamian, Harry Bedrosian, and Bruce Gigarjian, all members of the Berberian Ensemble. In addition, Fr. Untzag Nalbandian & Ani Nalbandian ’09, president of the Armenian Students’ Association, and other Holy Cross student musicians, will be performing.

“Each year that I have been at Holy Cross, I have sought to bring awareness and recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide to this campus,” explains Ani Nalbandian, founder of the ASA and concert organizer. “Although we are approaching its centennial, the Genocide continues to not only constitute a very significant part of the Armenian identity today, but also of humanity as a whole. It is my intention to unite the local Armenians and our college community in an unprecedented show of solidarity for this all-too-often neglected and ‘forgotten genocide.’”

Berberian has performed throughout the U.S., Canada, and South America. He has released a series of successful Armenian and Middle Eastern recordings with companies including MGM and Mainstream Records. Berberian has also recorded three LPs under his own label, Olympia Records.

Fr. Untzag Nalbandian is a well-known and respected clergyman of the Eastern Armenian Diocese of America. He is also a talented musician, having released 3 CD’s featuring traditional and contemporary Armenian songs. His most recent CD was a joint compilation with his daughter, Ani Nalbandian ’09.

Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) provides short-term emergency relief and implements long-term programs for the economic growth and social development of Armenia. It helps the most vulnerable segments of the population — children and the elderly — and prepares the youth and professionals to drive the country's new democratic state.