Karen asatrian – piano, keyboards, composition rita Movsesian – vocals

R i t a M o v s e s i a n & K a R e n a s a t R i a n B a n d :

echoes froM arMeniaa t R i B u t e t o a C u l t u R e w h o s e h e a R t B e a t i s a l w a y s a l i v e

Ante JurinoviÅ – bass

emil Krištof – drums

Wolfgang Puschnig – sax, flute

Featuring:

herbert Maurer – moderation & narrationJuan carlos sungurlian – oud, bouzouki

echoes froM arMeniaFor the Armenian people, the year 2015 marks the hundredth anniversary of the first genocide in modern day history. The exact date of

commemoration and remembrance: April 24th. A day the Armenian nation recalls ancestors of the past who had endured the struggles

of expulsion.

The atrocities of the past can only be overcome through the safeguarding of a culture. Despite the years of massacre, the Armenian people

have been able to uphold the current Republic of Armenia; which is all that is left of a nation that once spread to what is now known as

Eastern Anatolia. Without the preservation of the unique Armenian language, its distinctive script, its rich stories and its history, Armenia

and its people would not exist today.

Brainchild of composer and pianist Karen Asatrian, ECHOES FROM ARMENIA aims to keep the Armenian spirit alive through the perfor-

mance of an array of musical flavours that directly reflect the intertwining of various unique cultural representations. Arrangements will

be performed within a contemporary musical and literary context. Asatrian has combined and rearranged traditional scores of legendary

composers such as Sayat Nova (a comrade of Mozart) and Komitas with the sounds of the contemporary avant-garde, representing the

worldly integration of the Armenian people. Additionally, Austrian author, translator and reporter, Herbert Maurer, who has immersed

himself in the socio-political changes of Armenia, will narrate personal accounts of his experiences of the Armenian culture as well as

recite passages from Franz Werfel’s The Forty Days of Musa Dagh; a novel depicting the Armenian struggle and resistance.

ECHOES FROM ARMENIA has been created as a tribute to a culture whose heartbeat is very much alive. Its music and compositions are

performed with the dual purpose of raising global awareness of Armenian history as well as celebrating a culture that still stands proud.

KAREN ASAtRIAN | Laurentiusgasse 2 | 9061 Klagenfurt | Austria | asatrian@gmx.net | GSM +43 650 3300144

echoes froM arMeniaBorn in 1972 in Yerevan, Armenia; Karen Asatrian initially completed his study in classical violin and piano at the Tchaikovsky Music School in

Yerevan. He then continued his study of both instruments as well as in composition at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Moscow and at the Komitas

Conservatory of Yerevan. In 1995, he moved to Carinthia, Austria, where he finalized his jazz-piano studies in Klagenfurt under the direction of

Dr. Prof. Harry Neuwirth, with distinction. In 2001, Karen successfully graduated earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Instrumental (Vocal) Pedagogy

Studies receiving the state teaching certification for jazz-piano.

Karen has been very actively involved in several projects throughout his musical career, beginning with the founding of the group BRAHMS PROJECT,

a jazz-trio in combination with a chamber orchestra. His compositions have been performed with the CARINTHIAN MADRIGAL CHOIR. He has also

collaborated with the BRUCKNER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, as well as worked with the WIENER BURGTHEATER. These and other musical projects

have led Karen to perform at the »Three Nights of jazz« concerts in Saalfelden, jazz Fest Wien, Wiesen and the Sziget in Budapest, to name a few.

They have also led to invitations to work with the JOHANNES BRAHMS SOCIETY where Karen presented his own rearrangements of a variety of

J. Brahms compositions. This was followed by numerous studio productions and performances on stage, radio and television with various jazz

groups in Austria, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Armenia a.m.m.

In 2007, Asatrian was awarded the ARMENIAN MUSIC AWARD in the category of Best Jazz Album for his CD PATHWAY.

In addition to his activities and performances as an artist, Karen Asatrian is a respected jazz-piano Professor at the Carinthian State Conservatory as

well as at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. He also shares his knowledge and passion for music in various workshops around

Austria and abroad.

Karen asatrian – Pianist & Composer | www.asatrian.net | › Six Soldiers › Andranik Pasha › Pathway

RItA MOvSESIAN | www.ritamovsesian.com | ritamovsesian@yahoo.de

echoes froM arMenia»Music is an individual and creative process that opens pathways to intercultural and cross-boarder experiences.« (Rita Movsesian)

At the tender age of 12, Rita Movsesian had already dedicated herself to music in Baghdad, Iraq, where she had begun her vocal training placing an

emphasis on Armenian and Arabic musical literatures.

After moving to Austria, Rita continued receiving her vocal training from a wide variety of renowned singing coaches as well as at the Salzburg

Mozarteum university in the fields of classical-western music and jazz. This was followed by a great number of stage appearances both in Austria

and abroad.

Between 2006 and 2013, Rita founded two distinct trans-cultural projects: FLARMENIA (in Austria) and ARCA DE NOÉ (in Andalusia) with which she

combined Armenian, Arabic and Andalusian Flamenco music.

In 2013 and 2014 Rita was a contestant on the international TV-Show »The Voice of Middle East« produced in Beirut, followed by her participation in

»The Voice of Germany« where she shared her message of peace and anti-racism. Both experiences had paved the road for her to successfully reach

a wider and very appreciative audience.

Through music, Rita has inspired others by bringing people and cultures closer together. The drive behind her creative process is building an under-

standing of the universal nature of the musicality of various nations. This goal has become particularly important to Rita as she actively participates

in the World Music scene where her intention to unite various nations becomes tangible.

rita Movsesian – Vocalist | www.ritamovsesian.com

Born in 1965 in Vienna, Herbert Maurer studied linguistics in Venice, jerusalem, Cologne, Bilbao and Yerevan. During his 3 years of residence in

Armenia beginning in 1988, Maurer worked for the Austrian Earthquake-Relief and as a journalist for international media. The People, the land

and the culture of Armenia are very familiar and well known to Herbert Maurer. He moved back to Austria in 1992, where he published numerous

books through Austrian and German publishing houses. His published works include novels, narrations, poems, short stories and theatrical plays.

However, Maurer’s main interests have revolved around the translation of contemporary Armenian literature. In 1996 he received the »Rheingau

Literature Prize« followed by various other awards, including the »Werfel Medal for Cultural Communication between Armenia and Austria«.

Herbert Maurer is a frequent member of the International Literary Ark Festival in Yerevan.

herbert Maurer – Writer & Translator | www.herbertmaurer.at

echoes froM arMenia

Juan Carlos Sungurlian, Rita Movsesian, Ante Jurinoviå, Herbert Maurer, Emil Kriøtof, Karen Asatrian