News
2011 December 08, Thursday 18:00
The Naregatsi Folk Instruments Ensemble Second Concert in Hr. Ghaplanyan Drama Theatre on December 8, 2011
ANCIENT SOUNDS, AWAKENED SPIRITS։ THE NAREGATSI ARMENIAN FOLK INSTRUMENTS ENSEMBLE SHOWCASED ARMENIA'S MUSICAL HERITAGE AT A SPECTACULAR GALA CONCERT
On December 8, 2011, the young performers of the Naregatsi Armenian Folk Instruments Ensemble showcased a spectacular gala concert where the vivid riches of Armenian musical heritage rose and shone through alluring performances of ancient melodies, lyrics, and chants on traditional instruments.
Featuring a brand new program comprised of Armenian spiritual music, bardic, folk and ethnic songs and dances, renditions of classical Armenian musical pieces, as well as some Oriental melodies, and renditions of typically Western tunes, such as blues, performed on traditional folk instruments, the concert, conceptually speaking, raised the centuries old question of Armenian identity; i.e., whether Armenia belongs to the Orient or the Occident given that it has historically been located on the crossroad of the two, Eastern and Western, civilizations. By performing typically Armenian melodies, classically Oriental pieces, and exclusively Western tunes, the young performers of the Naregatsi Folk Instruments Ensemble conveyed convincingly the message that the Armenians, being the people dwelling around the Mount Ararat, belong to whatever is good and valuable in any civilization.
As part of the concert, a reader-friendly booklet was published containing colourful illustrations and detailed descriptions of the traditional musical instruments performed in the cast of the ensemble. The now available booklet contains detailed information on the construction and mechanics, tuning, bows, playing, repertoire and related instruments of each one of the featured instruments. The booklet is also rich in fascinating historic examples about the origination of the instruments, the symbolic significations attributed to them in ancient legends, as well as illustrations of the most archaic archaeological remains of the presented instruments. With this booklet, the organizers of the concert wanted to deepen people’s knowledge and awareness of traditional Armenian musical instruments, and thereby also reawaken the timeless appeal of Armenian traditional musical heritage.
The concert took place under the Artistic direction of Hovik Sahakyan, who has been the artistic director of the ensemble ever since its establishment. Trained as a tar player and orchestral conductor at Yerevan Komitas Conservatory, Hovik Sahakyan is one of Armenia’s most prominent and highly acclaimed tar players, a recognition he gained years before he commensed on his higher education at the Conservatory, since right upon graduation from Yerevan Romanos Melikyan Music College, Hovik Sahakyan was already the principal tar player of the Armenian State Ensemble of Folk Instruments. In line with his active concert life, Hovik Sahakyan also has a rich biography in teaching. It has already been many years that Hovik Sahakyan mentors and imparts knowledge, musicianship, advice and access to opportunities to many generations of young performers at Naregatsi Folk Instruments Ensemble, Yerevan Barsegh Kanachian School of Arts, and the Yerevan Music School after Stepan Jrbashian.
Naregatsi Folk Instruments Ensemble is founded with a vision to promote the love and interest of younger generations towards the riches of Armenian traditional music and musical instruments. The ensemble is a space where to mentor and train younger performers to fill in the voids of Armenian folk music and performing arts scene.
It was back in 2005 when Naregatsi Art Institute took up the initiative to provide tuition-free tar and kamancha classes for gifted children in need of financial support. In those years the classes of folk instruments at the music schools in Armenia were not yet tuition free, and Naregatsi Art Institute, motivated by the desire to encourage younger performers, established a special scholarship for them.
Those classes then became the cornerstone upon which Naregatsi Folk Instruments Ensemble was founded. Unifying 21 instrumentalists and 5 vocalists, the Ensemble today has a rich record of concerts and tours, a diverse program and considerable achievements. Indeed, ever since their first recital of August 27, 2008, Naregatsi Folk
Instruments Ensemble has made a long journey, one stretching from many of the professional stages of Yerevan to the regions of Armenia, Artsakh, the French cities of Lyon, Toulouse, Paris, Sarlat, Cahors, Romagne, and the Geneva, Zurich and Lugano of Switzerland…
The Ensemble’s CD was nominated as “The best album of the year” at the National Music Awards 2010.
