SCSU to Mark Centennial through Series of Art Events

NEW HAVEN, Conn.—On April 23-24, Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) will hold a series of public events to observe the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide through music and art.

“Southern’s commitment to social justice is very much animated by the recognition of man’s inhumanity to man,” said SCSU President Mary A. Papazian. “The Centenary of the Armenian Genocide gives us pause to recall the mass suffering that occurred at that time and at other periods throughout history. By remembering the past, we can work to build a better future for all.”

“Art and music are highly effective media to tell this heart-wrenching story and touch our emotions,” Papazian said. “I hope that people will come to Southern and experience these affecting presentations.”

On April 23 at 7:30 p.m., the SCSU Symphonic Band will present a concert entitled, “Music of Armenia,” featuring folk music by composers Hovhaness, Reed, Khachaturian, Komitas, and Strauss. Guest musician Anna Hayrapetyan will discuss the origins of the music presented and University Band Director Craig Hlavac will discuss the pieces’ arrangements. The concert will take place in the Charles Garner Recital Hall (Engleman C112).

On April 24 at 5 p.m., in the Buley Library Art Gallery, the university will hold an opening reception for “Ashfall,” an art installation by Robert Barsamian that tells the story of the victims of the genocide. The reception will include a talk by the artist, a musical presentation by the SCSU Symphonic Band, and a tour of the exhibit.

On April 24 at 7:30 p.m., guest musicians Anna Hayrapetyan and Tatev Amiryan will perform a recital in honor of the victims of the Armenia Genocide. Their performance, to be held in the Garner Recital Hall (Engleman C112), will feature pieces connected specifically with the genocide theme by Armenian composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Komitas, Mirzonyan, Kanachyan, Amiryan, and others.

Hayrapetyan has performed in multiple solo and joined concerts around Armenia, Australia, and the United Kingdom. She is the winner of the MacArthur Music Competition in Sydney, Australia, where she was awarded first and second places for sacred music and operatic aria sections, respectively.

Amiryan is a composer and pianist devoted to exploring the sounds of her native Armenian homeland. Her music has been performed extensively around the world and she has received multiple scholarships and awards. She is a doctor of musical arts candidate at the University of Missouri at Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance and her dissertation is a dedication to the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide.

Artist Robert Barsamian grew up in Whitinsville, Mass., the son and grandson of survivors of the 1915 Armenian Genocide. In the 1990’s, Barsamian recalled the stories his grandmother had told him of her survival of the genocide, and he became inspired to depict such atrocities in his art. He eventually began to create art installations to convey the feeling of inhumane acts perpetrated by man against man and began expressing the injustices of the genocide with his multimedia installations. “Ashfall” is one such installation.

“Ashfall” tells the story of the journey of survival that Barsamian’s mother, her mother, father and great-grandmother endured on their escape from Historic Armenia to America. A 16’x16’ structure erected within the Buley Library gallery space with the help of Southern art students, “Ashfall” contains its own lighting and sound system. Inside the structure are portraits on lace, framed by branches—elements from Armenian culture—along with a bench that allows visitors to pause and contemplate the exhibit, which has been called a “sacred space.” In addition to the structure, the gallery displays text panels that speak to the violence and loss the genocide engendered.

A smaller installation in the gallery space, called “Road to Aleppo,” is a boat with a figure lying on a funeral pier, representing the spirits of those who died on the death marches through the Syrian desert to Aleppo. Large drawings on silk are draped behind this piece.

Barsamian lives in Dallas, Texas, and is represented by the Conduit Gallery. He has exhibited “Ashfall” in various venues around the United States; the SCSU installation is the first time in New England. “Ashfall” will be open to the public from April 20 to July 9, and admission is free.

For more information on the events, call (203) 392-6589 or visit http://www.southernct.edu/armenian-genocide​.​

Guest Contributor

Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.

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