A centennial tribute to Arno Babajanian brought musicians and listeners together at the Armenian Society of Los Angeles. A December 2021 report, originally credited to The Armenian Mirror-Spectator, records soprano Anahit Nersisyan’s participation.
Voice, piano, and strings
The event was organized by the Tekeyan Cultural Association’s Los Angeles and Metro Los Angeles chapters. The account names tenor Suren Mkrtchyan, pianist Armine Ghazaryan, and a string quartet alongside Nersisyan.
It specifically associates her with Babajanian’s “Elegy,” described as an elaboration of Sayat-Nova’s “Kanim Vur Jan Im,” and with his “Vocaliz.” The report also places songs and instrumental music within the evening’s wider program.
A composer heard through different performers
A tribute concert offers a useful way to approach an unfamiliar composer. A sequence of voices and instruments encourages listeners to notice connections without expecting each piece to sound alike. For someone discovering Nersisyan, this archive item opens another door beyond the Komitas recording featured on the website.
It also shows why collaborators belong in a concert history. The pianist, string players, and fellow singer are part of the event’s musical record, rather than background details.
Continue exploring
Visit the performance collection for available recordings, or explore the journal for other archived concerts. This retrospective refers to the centennial commemoration reported in 2021; it does not announce a new event.