YEREVAN–The Hayastan All Armenia Fund’s Germany affiliate will host in early October charity concerts featuring prominent pianist Vardan Mamikonian in Beirut, Syria and Aleppo to benefit the local Armenian communities.
The concerts, co-organized by the organization’s regional committees in Lebanon and Syria, will take place on October 4, 5 and 6 with proceeds going to toward providing medical assistance, as well as foster educational and cultural initiatives in the three local Armenian communities. The concert series will also aim to strengthen cultural links between Armenia and the Diaspora.
“For years Armenia’s in Diaspora have been a great moral and material support to people in Armenia and Karabakh,” said Hayastan Fund Germany Chairman Gilbert Moumdjian. “Some of these Armenian communities are experiencing difficulties, and it is our duty to extend them a helping hand. Hayastan Fund’s projects such as this serve this purpose too.”
Vardan Mamikonian began his piano studies at the Yerevan Spendiarian School of Music. He continued his studies at the Moscow Central Music School and at the prestigious Tchaikovsky Conservatory where he became a student of Valery Kastelsky, one of the last pupils of the legendary teacher Heinrich Neuhaus.
Mamikonian has played recitals at the Musikverein in Vienna, at the Carnegie Hall in New York, the Theatre des Champs-elysees in Paris, the Herkulessaal in Munich, Wigmore Hall in London, the Tonhalle in Zurich, at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco and at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., among others. Other engagemen’s have included performances as soloist in Germany and Holland, Shanghai, Leipzig, Paris, Munich. Upcoming recital and orchestral engagemen’s for the 2007-2008 season include performances with orchestras in France, Germany, Italy and Sweden.
Since 1991 Mamikonian has made his home in Paris, France. In 1992 he was the winner of the World Music Masters Competition in Monte Carlo, reserved exclusively for winners of international competitions.
Vardan Mamikonian’s concert is not unprecedented: the world renowned Armenian opera singer Hasmik Papyan years ago gave several charity concerts in these communities. She then expressed willingness to give benefit performances for Armenia’s in Diaspora and direct proceeds
