The 74th annual Armenian concert, “Armenian Night at the Pops,” organized by the Friends of Armenian Culture Society, took place May 23 at Boston’s Symphony Hall. The evening was dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the United States, whose commemorative programs this year carry the theme “E Pluribus Unum,” or “Out of Many, One”.
After extensive research and consultations with the organizers, Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, conceived the idea of presenting one of the rare works of the Armenian American composer Alan Hovhaness: “Ode to Freedom.”
It is worth noting that Hovhaness was the son of Haroutiun Chakmakjian (1879–1973), who was born in Adana and later emigrated to Cyprus and eventually to the United States. From 1908 to 1918, Chakmakjian served as editor of the Armenian newspaper Hairenik and authored a comprehensive volume on Armenian history, as well as a well-known English-Armenian dictionary.
Among those present were Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and William Holst, son of Hinaqó Fujihara Hovhaness, Alan Hovhaness’ widow. Holst traveled from Seattle for the occasion.
After greeting the audience with a distinctive “Pari Yerego,” or ”Good evening,” Lockhart said Alan Hovhaness was one of the best-known American composers of the 20th century. Born in Somerville, Hovhaness spent many years in nearby Arlington, where he completed his schooling.
Lockhart described how the orchestra obtained the work, which Hovhaness composed at the request of Russian-born maestro Andre Kostelanetz for the bicentennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The piece was first performed by violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin in Virginia on July 3, 1976, under Kostelanetz’s direction. Additional historical details about the composition were obtained from the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation in London.
For this special occasion, violinist Sofia Vardanyan was invited from Yerevan. Accompanied by the Boston Pops Orchestra and guided by Lockhart’s experienced baton, she performed the composition. The work blended Eastern and Western musical traditions, creating an abstract and mystical atmosphere in which listeners could hear echoes of Armenian sacred music and Caucasian tonalities.
Before performing this piece, Vardanyan played “Hayr Mer,” or “Our Father,” with the orchestra.
Vardanyan began playing the violin at age 7 and has participated in master classes led by internationally renowned musicians, including Kim Kashkashian, Daishin Kashimoto, Boris Brovtsyn, Ani Kavafian, Ida Kavafian and others.
She studied at the Tchaikovsky Specialized Music School for Gifted Children in Yerevan under Professor Alexander Kosemyan from 2007 to 2014, and later under Professor Artashes Mkrtchyan from 2014 to 2017. Vardanyan has performed annual solo concerts in concert halls throughout Yerevan. In 2012, she participated in the Second International New Names Festival for Young Musicians and Performers, appearing with the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra and the Armenian State Chamber Orchestra. In 2015, she took part in a chamber concert during the Ninth International Music Festival of Yerevan, collaborating with violinists Ida Kavafian and Levon Chilingirian.
Since September 2022, Vardanyan has continued her studies at Vienna’s Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien through the Erasmus program.
The second half of the evening featured Pink Martini, the well-known group based in Portland, Oregon, which generated additional excitement, especially when the ensemble performed the beloved Armenian song “Ov Sirun, Sirun,” a frequent part of its repertoire.
