AGBU Musical Armenia Program Is Accepting Applications

Learn about an ancient musical tradition with a three-week program in Yerevan

The May 16 deadline for the 5^th annual Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Musical Armenia Program (MAP) is fast approaching and all musicians and music-lovers are encouraged to secure their spots. This year, the program will take place from July 11-31. While living in Yerevan, participants attend master classes and specialized lectures, train and network with top musicians, perform at local venues, and attend concerts and festivals.

Jasper Moss, a student at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, conducting the Yerevan State Opera and Ballet Orchestra during a rehearsal, as part of his studies as a MAP participant.

Through organized activities and country-wide tours, MAP participants go beyond the classroom and concert hall to discover the sights and sounds that inspire them. In previous years, the program has welcomed participants from Armenia, Canada, Cyprus, France, Japan, Lebanon, Qatar, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay.

“MAP has been an experience of a lifetime for me. I have been enlightened by Armenian music and been given a rare opportunity to uniquely expand my repertoire. Naturally, it has also exposed me to the incredible culture of Armenia, which will leave a profound impression on my spirit, mind, and soul,” said Aramis Khorchidian, a young violinist from France and 2015 MAP participant.

MAP participant Yukinoro Kinoshita perfects his repertoire of Armenian classical music under the watchful eye of Lucine Grigoryan, ECM artist and professor at Komitas State University.

MAP participants take one-on-one lessons with renowned professors from the Komitas State Music Conservatory, attend 14 lectures on the history of Armenian music (medieval, spiritual, secular, minstrel, classical, Ottoman, Soviet, post-Soviet, contemporary, classical, khaz notation and jazz), tour Armenia’s ancient monasteries and museums, network with artists, audition and establish professional connections, meet peers from around the world, and go to concerts, plays, and exhibitions.

Though MAP is one of the youngest AGBU programs, it has already established itself as an entry point to the professional world. Some alumni have made the decision to call Armenia their new home and continue their involvement with the program, while others have been offered professional contracts in Armenia and Europe.

MAP participants attending a special lecture by composer Tigran Mansurian, at the Komitas Museum in Yerevan.

For more information and to apply to the Musical Armenia Program (MAP), visit www.agbu.org/musicalarmenia. For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, visit www.agbu.org.