Category Archives: Events
Armenian Genocide Centennial Concert in Tallahassee to Feature Classical Armenian Music
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Armenian Americans in Florida’s capital will gather for a classical Armenian music concert in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Produced by Danny Bedrosian, the Armenian Genocide Centennial Concert will feature select pieces of Armenian music covering over 3 millennia of music. The concert will be held at Florida State University, Opperman Music Hall, on Friday, April 17, 2015 at 8:00 PM.
“The Armenian Genocide commemorative concert will be an unforgettable moment for our community,” stated Florida Armenians Tallahassee Chair Margaret Atayants. “We have been planning this commemoration for years, and practicing for months, in an effort to present the Armenian experience and our civilization to the audience,” she said.
The concert will be performed by an orchestra of players that Bedrosian specifically assembled for the daunting task of summarizing 3,000 years of Armenian music. With mini lectures included, this unique concert is intended to capture the heart and soul of Armenian music, sampling through many different eras and regions of Historic Armenia, leading up to and after the Armenian Genocide of 1915. “This performance will capture the burning passion in our hearts,” Atayants said.
Artists performing include: Daniel Bedrosian, music director, grand piano, vocals, lecturer; Professor Michael Bakan, doumbek, assorted percussion; Dr. Silviu Ciulei, classical guitar; David Cobb, bass guitar; Ramin Yazdanpanah, percussion; Stacy Christofakis, bass clarinet, clarinet, douduk; Margaret Atayants, vocals; Sean Gorman, contrabass/upright bass; Katelyn Best, vocals; Nicole Schommer, vocals.
Full musician biographies are available here.
The Armenian Genocide Centennial Concert is produced by Danny Bedrosian and sponsored by the Compatriotic Union of Habousi, Florida Armenians, Side Bar Theatre, and Crepevine Restaurant. The concert is free and open to public.
Armenian Assembly of America Hosts Armenian Genocide Symposium in South Florida
On Saturday, March 14, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) hosted an Armenian Genocide symposium entitled “A Century of Genocide: The 1915 Armenian Genocide and Its Lasting Impact,” during the Assembly’s Annual Members Weekend in South Florida. Over 80 Assembly members, friends, and guests attended the educational presentations and lively question and answer session.
The symposium featured Dr. Rouben Adalian, Director of the Armenian National Institute (ANI) in Washington, DC, Dr. Rosanna Gatens, Director of the Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education (CHHRE) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, Florida, and Hannibal Travis, Professor of Law at Florida International University (FIU) College of Law in Miami, Florida. The panel was moderated by Assembly Trustee and South Florida community leader Marta Batmasian.
Armenian Assembly of America Board of Trustees President Carolyn Mugar provided welcoming remarks and introduced Marta Batmasian. Batmasian introduced the panel to the audience and recognized members of the audience who have been researching and teaching about the Armenian Genocide in South Florida.
Batmasian introduced Dr. Adalian who presented the topic of “The Armenian Genocide as a Prototype of 20th Century Mass Killings,” detailing the primitive yet effective template of mass killing that was developed by the Ottoman Turkish government. He showed images from the digital exhibit “The First Deportation: The German Railway, the American Hospital, and the Armenian Genocide,” which took the audience back in time to a pivotal location of the deportations. Adalian brought to life the experiences and activities of Dr. Wilfred D. Post who administered the American hospital in Konya, a major station along the Berlin-Baghdad rail line which became the site of a large deportation camp. In defiance of the Ottoman ban on photography of deportees, Dr. Post captured what may have been some of the earliest pictures of deported Armenians.
Next, Batmasian introduced Dr. Gatens who discussed “The Impact of the Armenian Genocide on Holocaust Education.” She discussed how the CHHRE at FAU had been working for years to advance Armenian Genocide education on campus and throughout Palm Beach County. Gatens drew parallels between the Jewish and Armenian experiences and highlighted challenges faced in educating the general public about the crime of genocide.
Professor Hannibal Travis gave the final presentation on “The Armenian Genocide as a Political Act and International Crime.” He discussed the illegality of the crime of genocide under international law, including cases where the charge of genocide was applied retroactively. Travis gave an in depth account of crimes against humanity that have been heard in international courts and discussed avenues for Armenian efforts in this context.
Following the presentations, Batmasian opened the floor for questions. Several were asked of the panel leading to a lively and wide-ranging discussion. Armenian Assembly of America Executive Director Bryan Ardouny gave closing remarks and announced the launch of an online petition calling on President Barack Obama to affirm the Armenian Genocide in his upcoming statement commemorating the 100th anniversary. After the symposium, guests were invited up to view a brand new exhibit entitled “Iconic Images of the Armenian Genocide,” that was on full display during and after the discussion.
“We were pleased to bring this expert panel together for the South Florida community,” stated Bryan Ardouny. “The Assembly is grateful to Dr. Adalian, Dr. Gatens, Professor Travis, and Mrs. Batmasian for their insight and compelling presentations,” Ardouny said.
Additional photographs from the Assembly’s Armenian Genocide Symposium in South Florida are available on the Assembly’s Facebook page here.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
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Photo Caption 1: (L-R) Dr. Rouben Adalian, Marta Batmasian, Hannibal Travis, Dr. Rosanna Gatens.
Photo Caption 2: Program speakers at the Assembly’s Armenian Genocide Symposium in South Florida.
(Photographs by Bedo Der-Bedrosian on behalf of the Armenian Assembly of America)
Florida Armenians 