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ZORYAN INSTITUTE OF CANADA, INC.
255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310
Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807 Fax: 416-512-1736 E-mail: [email protected]
www.zoryaninstitute.org
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Megan Swan
DATE: September 6, 2008 Tel: 416-250-9807
Isabel Bayrakdarian's `Remembrance Tour,' Sponsored by Zoryan Institute,
Dedicated To All Victims of Genocide
Toronto - The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies
(A Division of the Zoryan Institute) (the IIGHRS) is honoured to sponsor the
Remembrance Concert Tour, as it is dedicated to the victims of all
genocides. The tour features the music of Gomidas Vartabed (1869-1935),
starring Isabel Bayrakdarian, who has captivated audiences all over the
world with her beautiful and moving soprano voice.
Why is the IIGHRS sponsoring such a concert tour? Perhaps it has been best
expressed by Isabel Bayrakdarian, herself. `Their objective is to raise
awareness of genocide, this gross violation of human rights, through the
concert tour's profound theme of remembrance.'
George Shirinian, the institute's Executive Director, stated, `We believe in
using every opportunity and medium to educate the public at large about this
heinous crime, and in this case through the musical genius of Gomidas, and
Isabel's interpretation of it. Defending truth and human rights is
everybody's business. We must all do our part.'
`Gomidas, who collected, purified and preserved the essence of Armenian
music, had his life and music interrupted by the Armenian Genocide,'
explained Greg Sarkissian, President of the Zoryan Institute. `Only God
knows how many other musical and artistic geniuses have been lost to
humanity due to the many genocides in the past seven decades alone - Cambodia,
the Jewish Holocaust, Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, and now Darfur. It
is therefore imperative that we use this venue to bring about the awareness
of and the sensitivity for this universal trauma. It is equally important
that the survivors of genocide and their descendants, whatever their
ethnicity, generously support our institute for such a large
undertaking - stretching from New York to San Francisco, from Vancouver to
Toronto - not only by attending the concert itself, but also by helping the
institute underwrite the enormous costs involved.'
Through Serouj and Isabel's journey of discovery with Gomidas, they learned
that one doesn't have to be Armenian to be touched by his work. There is a
mystical and a universally soul-stirring quality to his songs, with an air
of blissful sadness and child-like simplicity that captures and moves the
listener regardless of nationality, race, or religion.
Given that the trauma of the Armenian Genocide is also part of Isabel's
identity, as the grandchild of a survivor, her working with Zoryan's IIGHRS
is a natural partnership.
As Serouj Kradjian noted, `On April 24, 1915 Gomidas Vartabed was one of 300
Armenian intellectuals arrested and deported in the first stage of the
Armenian Genocide masterminded by the Ottoman government, during the course
of which some one-and-a-half million Armenians perished. Due to the efforts
of United States Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, Gomidas was one of the few to
return alive, only to find that he had lost everything - friends, students,
and most of his life's work. He succumbed to intense physical and mental
anguish, became a ghost of his former vigorous self, and never composed or
sang again. He died in a mental institution near Paris on October 22, 1935.
Gomidas purified Armenian music of all foreign influences and gave it back
to its people, laying the foundations of a national music culture. This
explains his rightful recognition as the `father of Armenian classical
music.''
`The program of the concert tour is woven around the orchestral arrangements
of Gomidas' folk songs and relates to the music and culture of all
persecuted nations,' explains Isabel. `There are other gems included in
this unique program,' she added, `such as Maurice Ravel's `Kaddish,' a
prayer which is one of the masterpieces of Jewish liturgy, `Three Pieces in
the Olden Style' by Henryk Gorecki, best known for his stunning `Symphony of
Sorrowful Songs' depicting misery and death in a Gestapo cell, and Nikos
Skalkottas' undiscovered `Greek Dances.'
According to Atom Egoyan, `Serouj Kradjian has provided arrangements of
sublime sensitivity, carefully harnessing the alternately meditative and
expressive gestures so specific to Gomidas' music. There are moments - such as
the end of `Karoun a' (It's Springtime), where Kradjian's effects are truly
miraculous.'
`The songs of Gomidas have a very special place in my heart,' Isabel
confided. `I feel each song encapsulates in it the pride of the Armenian
people and its tenacity and determination to survive despite its difficult
history. As one of my earliest artistic compasses, these songs - with their
unique nuances and inflections - continue to influence everything I sing,
interpret, and express,' she concluded.
Gracing the front cover of the June/July 2008 issue of Opera Canada, Isabel
Bayrakdarian is admired as much for her stunning stage presence as for her
exceptional musicality, and she has followed a unique career path completely
her own. Since winning first prize at the 2000 Operalia competition founded
by Placido Domingo, she has burst onto the international opera scene,
gracing the stages of the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, La Scala,
Paris Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Salzburger Festspiele, Dresden Semperoper,
Bavarian State Opera, and the Canadian Opera Company among others. Singing
under the baton of such eminent conductors as James Conlon, David Zinman,
Michael Tilson-Thomas, Mariss Jansons, Leonard Slatkin, James Levine, Peter
Ounjian and Richard Bradshaw. She has won four consecutive Junos (Canada's
equivalent of the Grammys) for her work. She sings on the Grammy
award-winning soundtrack of the blockbuster film The Lord of the Rings: The
Two Towers, and her voice can also be heard in the multiple award-winning
Canadian film Ararat. She is also the subject of a film entitled A Long
Journey Home that documents her first trip to Armenia. A collection of
songs by Gomidas, recorded with her husband and the Armenian Philharmonic
Orchestra, will be released on Nonesuch Records to coincide with the concert
tour.
Apart from her musical accomplishments, she holds an honors degree in
Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toronto.
2008 North American Tour Dates & Venues
San Francisco Performances, Herbst Theatre - October 3
Philharmonic Society of Orange County, Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
- October 5
Vancouver Symphony, Orpheum Theatre - October 7
Toronto, Roy Thomson Hall - October 17
Boston Celebrity Series, New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall - October 19
New York City, Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall - October 20
For more information on Isabel Bayrakdarian, please visit
http://www.bayrakdarian.com/
The IIGHRS's mission is to encourage a new generation of scholars to engage
in research and publication in the field of genocide and human rights
studies. This is achieved through a comparative and interdisciplinary
analysis of such cases of genocide as the Jewish Holocaust, the Cambodian
Genocide, and the Rwandan Genocide, among others, using the Armenian
Genocide as the point of reference. It seeks to help develop an academic
support system for those who work toward the prevention of genocide. It
strives to show, through the study of the genocidal traumas of many peoples,
that genocide is a shared human experience and that, as such, it must be the
concern of all individuals and institutions.
For more information, visit www.zoryaninstitute.org, email
[email protected], or telephone (416) 250-9807.
255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310
Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807 Fax: 416-512-1736 E-mail: [email protected]
www.zoryaninstitute.org
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Megan Swan
DATE: September 6, 2008 Tel: 416-250-9807
Isabel Bayrakdarian's `Remembrance Tour,' Sponsored by Zoryan Institute,
Dedicated To All Victims of Genocide
Toronto - The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies
(A Division of the Zoryan Institute) (the IIGHRS) is honoured to sponsor the
Remembrance Concert Tour, as it is dedicated to the victims of all
genocides. The tour features the music of Gomidas Vartabed (1869-1935),
starring Isabel Bayrakdarian, who has captivated audiences all over the
world with her beautiful and moving soprano voice.
Why is the IIGHRS sponsoring such a concert tour? Perhaps it has been best
expressed by Isabel Bayrakdarian, herself. `Their objective is to raise
awareness of genocide, this gross violation of human rights, through the
concert tour's profound theme of remembrance.'
George Shirinian, the institute's Executive Director, stated, `We believe in
using every opportunity and medium to educate the public at large about this
heinous crime, and in this case through the musical genius of Gomidas, and
Isabel's interpretation of it. Defending truth and human rights is
everybody's business. We must all do our part.'
`Gomidas, who collected, purified and preserved the essence of Armenian
music, had his life and music interrupted by the Armenian Genocide,'
explained Greg Sarkissian, President of the Zoryan Institute. `Only God
knows how many other musical and artistic geniuses have been lost to
humanity due to the many genocides in the past seven decades alone - Cambodia,
the Jewish Holocaust, Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, and now Darfur. It
is therefore imperative that we use this venue to bring about the awareness
of and the sensitivity for this universal trauma. It is equally important
that the survivors of genocide and their descendants, whatever their
ethnicity, generously support our institute for such a large
undertaking - stretching from New York to San Francisco, from Vancouver to
Toronto - not only by attending the concert itself, but also by helping the
institute underwrite the enormous costs involved.'
Through Serouj and Isabel's journey of discovery with Gomidas, they learned
that one doesn't have to be Armenian to be touched by his work. There is a
mystical and a universally soul-stirring quality to his songs, with an air
of blissful sadness and child-like simplicity that captures and moves the
listener regardless of nationality, race, or religion.
Given that the trauma of the Armenian Genocide is also part of Isabel's
identity, as the grandchild of a survivor, her working with Zoryan's IIGHRS
is a natural partnership.
As Serouj Kradjian noted, `On April 24, 1915 Gomidas Vartabed was one of 300
Armenian intellectuals arrested and deported in the first stage of the
Armenian Genocide masterminded by the Ottoman government, during the course
of which some one-and-a-half million Armenians perished. Due to the efforts
of United States Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, Gomidas was one of the few to
return alive, only to find that he had lost everything - friends, students,
and most of his life's work. He succumbed to intense physical and mental
anguish, became a ghost of his former vigorous self, and never composed or
sang again. He died in a mental institution near Paris on October 22, 1935.
Gomidas purified Armenian music of all foreign influences and gave it back
to its people, laying the foundations of a national music culture. This
explains his rightful recognition as the `father of Armenian classical
music.''
`The program of the concert tour is woven around the orchestral arrangements
of Gomidas' folk songs and relates to the music and culture of all
persecuted nations,' explains Isabel. `There are other gems included in
this unique program,' she added, `such as Maurice Ravel's `Kaddish,' a
prayer which is one of the masterpieces of Jewish liturgy, `Three Pieces in
the Olden Style' by Henryk Gorecki, best known for his stunning `Symphony of
Sorrowful Songs' depicting misery and death in a Gestapo cell, and Nikos
Skalkottas' undiscovered `Greek Dances.'
According to Atom Egoyan, `Serouj Kradjian has provided arrangements of
sublime sensitivity, carefully harnessing the alternately meditative and
expressive gestures so specific to Gomidas' music. There are moments - such as
the end of `Karoun a' (It's Springtime), where Kradjian's effects are truly
miraculous.'
`The songs of Gomidas have a very special place in my heart,' Isabel
confided. `I feel each song encapsulates in it the pride of the Armenian
people and its tenacity and determination to survive despite its difficult
history. As one of my earliest artistic compasses, these songs - with their
unique nuances and inflections - continue to influence everything I sing,
interpret, and express,' she concluded.
Gracing the front cover of the June/July 2008 issue of Opera Canada, Isabel
Bayrakdarian is admired as much for her stunning stage presence as for her
exceptional musicality, and she has followed a unique career path completely
her own. Since winning first prize at the 2000 Operalia competition founded
by Placido Domingo, she has burst onto the international opera scene,
gracing the stages of the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, La Scala,
Paris Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Salzburger Festspiele, Dresden Semperoper,
Bavarian State Opera, and the Canadian Opera Company among others. Singing
under the baton of such eminent conductors as James Conlon, David Zinman,
Michael Tilson-Thomas, Mariss Jansons, Leonard Slatkin, James Levine, Peter
Ounjian and Richard Bradshaw. She has won four consecutive Junos (Canada's
equivalent of the Grammys) for her work. She sings on the Grammy
award-winning soundtrack of the blockbuster film The Lord of the Rings: The
Two Towers, and her voice can also be heard in the multiple award-winning
Canadian film Ararat. She is also the subject of a film entitled A Long
Journey Home that documents her first trip to Armenia. A collection of
songs by Gomidas, recorded with her husband and the Armenian Philharmonic
Orchestra, will be released on Nonesuch Records to coincide with the concert
tour.
Apart from her musical accomplishments, she holds an honors degree in
Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toronto.
2008 North American Tour Dates & Venues
San Francisco Performances, Herbst Theatre - October 3
Philharmonic Society of Orange County, Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
- October 5
Vancouver Symphony, Orpheum Theatre - October 7
Toronto, Roy Thomson Hall - October 17
Boston Celebrity Series, New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall - October 19
New York City, Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall - October 20
For more information on Isabel Bayrakdarian, please visit
http://www.bayrakdarian.com/
The IIGHRS's mission is to encourage a new generation of scholars to engage
in research and publication in the field of genocide and human rights
studies. This is achieved through a comparative and interdisciplinary
analysis of such cases of genocide as the Jewish Holocaust, the Cambodian
Genocide, and the Rwandan Genocide, among others, using the Armenian
Genocide as the point of reference. It seeks to help develop an academic
support system for those who work toward the prevention of genocide. It
strives to show, through the study of the genocidal traumas of many peoples,
that genocide is a shared human experience and that, as such, it must be the
concern of all individuals and institutions.
For more information, visit www.zoryaninstitute.org, email
[email protected], or telephone (416) 250-9807.