Blog Archives
Aram Khachaturian would be 115 years old today, AGBU WebTalks Reminds us of His Early Years
Armine Grigoryan, Director of the Aram Khachaturian House-Museum in Yerevan, recounts the formative years of the renowned Armenian composer, from his childhood in Tbilisi to the beginnings of his prodigious musical career in Moscow. By the time he graduated from the conservatory, Khachaturian had already made his indelible mark on the likes of such giants of classical music as Prokofiev and Shostakovich, embarking on a musical career that would span decades and transcend borders.
Armine Grigoryan is the director of the Aram Khachaturian Museum in Yerevan, Armenia and a professor at the Yerevan State Conservatory. As an accomplished pianist, she also performs with the Khachaturian Trio, a laureate of a number of international competitions. During her musical career, Grigoryan has recorded several CDs, among them, “Unknown Khachaturian,” and performed in concerts throughout Europe, Japan, China, Russia, Australia, Canada and the United States. Grigoryan is a prize-winner of the “Roma-2003” international piano competition, competition, where she received a special Medal of the Chamber of the Deputies of Rome, and has been awarded medals from the Ministries of Culture of Poland and Armenia.
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Return to Asbury 2017 Events Announced
Attention those of you looking for the kef of the summer…
Return to Asbury is hitting the beach for our 6TH YEAR in a row!
And this time, we have the one and only Onnik Dinkjian joining us, returning to play in Asbury Park for the first time in over 40 years!
Last year, Return to Asbury raised enough money to donate 35 handmade shvis (a simple Armenian woodwind instrument) to the children of the Hovnanian School in New Milford, New Jersey. This year we plan to make a new gift of Armenian instruments to the Hovnanian School music department. Depending on the amount of funds we are able to raise, additional gifts to other Armenian schools and Armenian music programs may also be possible.
Click on the Eventbrite button below and please help support this great cause of Armenian music, and share it with your friends and family!
EVENTS
Friday, August 25th
KICKOFF COCKTAILS – 7pm-12am
Start the weekend off in style with happy hour cocktails at the exclusive Watermark Lounge on Asbury Park’s famous boardwalk.
The Watermark is located at 800 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ 07712.
Saturday, August 25th
BEACH DAY – 11am
Enjoy a day at the 7th Avenue Beach. Make sure you bring some pocket money for beach passes, and look for the Armenian flags in the sand!
KEF PARTY: MAIN EVENT – 8pm-2am
Kef party featuring live Armenian music, mezze, cash bar, and dancing at the The Berkeley Hotel.
Featuring the King of Kef himself…
ONNIK DINKJIAN!
with:
Ara Dinkjian – Keyboard
Steve Vosbikian, Jr. – Clarinet
David Hoplamazian – Violin
Raffi Massoyan – Oud
Christopher Vosbikian – Dumbeg
James Kzirian – Dumbeg
HOTEL
We have arranged for a discount room block for attendees at the Berkeley Hotel, which expires on August 11th.
To reserve your room, please visit:
https://make-reservations.com/web/en/choose-room/BER/2017-08-25/2017-08-27/RETURNTO/BER/Berkeley-Oceanfront-Hotel
Or you can call the hotel directly at (732) 776-6700 and mention discount code ‘RETURNTO’!
BACKGROUND
For Armenians on the East Coast in the 1950s and 60s, Asbury Park, New Jersey was THE place to come together on summer weekends. Days were spent on the beach and in the water, and at night everyone would gather at places called the Hye Hotel, the Van Hotel, the Sunset Lounge, and the Hye-Da-Way Kef Room…crowds lining the sidewalks, late night hook-ups, and the sounds of oud and doumbeg filling the air.
With Return to Asbury, we’re bringing back this summer tradition — in perfect symmetry with the historic beach town of Asbury Park, which is currently in the midst of its own exciting rebirth!
ADDITIONAL INFO
Tickets to all events can ONLY be purchased from this page. Because of restrictions with the venues, please note that tickets CANNOT be sold at the door. There are NO REFUNDS once tickets have been purchased. Please plan ahead!
Have questions, or a story or photo to share from the past? Please reach out to us at info@returntoasbury.org.
