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FARMINGTON HILLS MUSICIAN PERFORMS DURING ART X DETROIT WEEK
Patch.com
April 9 2013
Ara Topouzian hosts a panel discussion and presents information about
Armenian and Middle Eastern music on April 12.
Farmington Hills resident Ara Topouzian, who is City of Novi Economic
Development Director by day and Kresge Artist Fellow by night, will
introduce audiences to Armenian and Middle Eastern music and more
during Art X Detroit Week April 10-14.
"Detroit Hye Times", held at The Wright Museum Contemporary Arts
Gallery in Detroit on April 12, 6:15 p.m., features a panel discussion
and workshop with Topouzian and two other prominent Armenian musicians:
Oud virtuoso Mal Barsamian from Boston, MA, and Northeastern University
Professor/clarinetist, Leon Janikian.
They will lead a discussion on the origin of Armenian and Middle
Eastern instruments and discuss the history of traditional Armenian
music, with the trio performing samples of the music. This will be
followed with a presentation by Topouzian on the history of Armenian
folk music performed in Metro Detroit starting in the early 20th
Century.
"Detroit has been home to over 40,000 Armenians in the metro Detroit
area since the turn of the 20th Century," said Topouzian. "I want to
show the public the important role Armenian musicians played in the
development of the Detroit community. These musicians came from the
'old country' and brought with them folk songs and their identity to
Detroit. This workshop is a way to honor their work and contributions
to Motown."
The workshop will be followed by a concert of traditional Armenian folk
and dance songs from 8:15 p.m.-10 p.m. featuring all three musicians,
as well as Michael Shimmin on percussion. Both the workshop and
concert are free.
Topouzian, the 2012 Kresge Artist Fellow, plays the Kanun, a
76-stringed laptop Middle Eastern harp. He has performed as both
a solo musician and ensemble musician with Armenian and Middle
Eastern artists throughout the country. In 2012, he appeared as a
guest soloist with the Virginia Commonwealth University Symphony,
performing an original concerto written for the Kanun.
An Armenian born in America, Topouzian grew up listening to music
that describes simple village life or love and has been passed
down by generations. The music is Topouzian's identity and tells a
distinct story that he wants to continue to tell to the new Armenian
generations so they never forget, as well as to educate non-Armenian
audiences that otherwise may never know about or hear the beautiful
and rich music of Armenia.
"It is important to me as an Armenian-American and as a musician to do
my part in preserving the history of our folk music," said Topouzian.
"As generations become older, the music I play is in jeopardy of
extinction. I owe it to my heritage and the past musicians to do my
part in keeping this music alive, music that tells the story of the
Armenian people - both good and bad."
For more information about Topouzian and his music, visit
www.aratopouzian.com
Art X Detroit: Kresge Arts Experience is a five-day multidisciplinary
celebration, from April 10-14, 2013, that will exclusively present
works created by the 2011-2012 Kresge Eminent Artists and Artist
Fellows, along with a special visual arts exhibition at MOCAD that
runs through April 28.
For more information, visit www.artxdetroit.com
http://farmington-mi.patch.com/articles/farmington-hills-musician-performs-during-art-x-detroit-week
Patch.com
April 9 2013
Ara Topouzian hosts a panel discussion and presents information about
Armenian and Middle Eastern music on April 12.
Farmington Hills resident Ara Topouzian, who is City of Novi Economic
Development Director by day and Kresge Artist Fellow by night, will
introduce audiences to Armenian and Middle Eastern music and more
during Art X Detroit Week April 10-14.
"Detroit Hye Times", held at The Wright Museum Contemporary Arts
Gallery in Detroit on April 12, 6:15 p.m., features a panel discussion
and workshop with Topouzian and two other prominent Armenian musicians:
Oud virtuoso Mal Barsamian from Boston, MA, and Northeastern University
Professor/clarinetist, Leon Janikian.
They will lead a discussion on the origin of Armenian and Middle
Eastern instruments and discuss the history of traditional Armenian
music, with the trio performing samples of the music. This will be
followed with a presentation by Topouzian on the history of Armenian
folk music performed in Metro Detroit starting in the early 20th
Century.
"Detroit has been home to over 40,000 Armenians in the metro Detroit
area since the turn of the 20th Century," said Topouzian. "I want to
show the public the important role Armenian musicians played in the
development of the Detroit community. These musicians came from the
'old country' and brought with them folk songs and their identity to
Detroit. This workshop is a way to honor their work and contributions
to Motown."
The workshop will be followed by a concert of traditional Armenian folk
and dance songs from 8:15 p.m.-10 p.m. featuring all three musicians,
as well as Michael Shimmin on percussion. Both the workshop and
concert are free.
Topouzian, the 2012 Kresge Artist Fellow, plays the Kanun, a
76-stringed laptop Middle Eastern harp. He has performed as both
a solo musician and ensemble musician with Armenian and Middle
Eastern artists throughout the country. In 2012, he appeared as a
guest soloist with the Virginia Commonwealth University Symphony,
performing an original concerto written for the Kanun.
An Armenian born in America, Topouzian grew up listening to music
that describes simple village life or love and has been passed
down by generations. The music is Topouzian's identity and tells a
distinct story that he wants to continue to tell to the new Armenian
generations so they never forget, as well as to educate non-Armenian
audiences that otherwise may never know about or hear the beautiful
and rich music of Armenia.
"It is important to me as an Armenian-American and as a musician to do
my part in preserving the history of our folk music," said Topouzian.
"As generations become older, the music I play is in jeopardy of
extinction. I owe it to my heritage and the past musicians to do my
part in keeping this music alive, music that tells the story of the
Armenian people - both good and bad."
For more information about Topouzian and his music, visit
www.aratopouzian.com
Art X Detroit: Kresge Arts Experience is a five-day multidisciplinary
celebration, from April 10-14, 2013, that will exclusively present
works created by the 2011-2012 Kresge Eminent Artists and Artist
Fellows, along with a special visual arts exhibition at MOCAD that
runs through April 28.
For more information, visit www.artxdetroit.com
http://farmington-mi.patch.com/articles/farmington-hills-musician-performs-during-art-x-detroit-week