SHUSHI WILL CELEBRATE ITS 15TH ANNIVERSARY AT OPERA HOUSE IN ARMENIA By Karen Saraydarian Shushi has several exciting performances planned for this year, beginning with the group’s participation in Holy Martyrs 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert in Queens, on January 27, 2008. Shushi will have the opportunity to perform with the Holy Martyrs Hye Bar Group, and the Shoghaken Folk Ensemble, which recently performed in France, and will tour 23 cities in United States, including New York City, at Carnegie Hall, on January 26, 2008. In the spring of this year, with much anticipation, Shushi will travel to Canada. Following a second invitation from the AGBU Montreal Chapter, Shushi will perform at the AGBU 50th Anniversary in Canada in Montreal (at Vanier College, Quebec), on April 12, 2008. The event, which will be chaired by Mr. Boghos Kichian, will feature popular vocalists from Los Angeles, Ca., Babin Boghosian, Hovig Krikorian, Armen Hovannesyan and Salbi Mailian, with Andranik Mouradian serving as musical director. The event will also highlight Noune Avetisyan, for poetic recitation. In the collaboration of Mr. Kichian and Seta Paskalian-Kantardjian, artistic director and choreographer of Shushi, this promises to be another acclaimed event. Shushi has planned a second performance in Canada, a Toronto debut (at the Toronto Center for the Arts), on April 13, 2008, by invitation from the AGBU Toronto Chapter. The program, dedicated to the Armenian Genocide of April 24, will be chaired by Mr. Eugene Karadjian, Chairman of the Toronto AGBU chapter, and Ms. Salpi Der Ghazarian, the Executive Director. The program, including performances by those Armenian popular vocalists (listed above), will be memorable in marking the significance of the Armenian Genocide in the hearts of the audience. This summer, with great excitement, Shushi will be traveling on a two-week trip to Armenia and Karabagh, from June 26- July 11, 2008. The group will perform at the opera house in Armenia, in a celebratory event sponsored by the Armenia Fund Armenia. This special event was organized in August, 2007 when Seta Paskalian-Kantardjian traveled to Yerevan to meet with Mr. Vahe Aghabegians, Executive Director of the Armenia Fund, Armenia Himnadram and Mr. Ara Vardanyan, Deputy Executive Director of Hayasdan All Armenia Fund. Arrangements were also made through the Director of the National Opera and Ballet Theatre, Mr. Kamo Hovhannisyan, and Mr. Jirayr Dickranian, the Administrative Director. More than 50 Shushi members, along with close to 50 parents and family members, anxiously await the tremendous opportunity to perform in both Canada and Armenia. While numerous details are involved in assuring the success of Shushi’s performances, its committee members remain diligent in assisting Seta Paskalian-Kantardjian, in great appreciation for her steadfast dedication to the group, for the past 15 years. |
