SAN MATEO, Calif. — On April 19, 500 people from the Armenian community of San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area attended a grand cultural celebration called “Hantiboum” at the Bayside Performing Arts Center. Jointly organized by AGBU Silicon Valley and the Nigol Aghpalian Chapter of Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Association, the artistic program “Hantiboum” was crafted by Avetis Berberyan and Noushig Mikayelian.
Berberyan is a graduate of Yerevan’s Tchaikovsky Musical Academy and Komitas Conservatory. From 1993 to 2000, he was director of the concert tour division of the AGBU-sponsored Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra. Mikayelian is an accomplished poet and singer, who has studied at the Komitas Conservatory and currently teaches Armenian language and music at Krouzian-Zekarian-Vasbouragan Armenian School in San Francisco.
The concert began with Komitas’s Hov arek, followed by the resonant poem “Karnanayin” (Vernal) by Mikayelian. Other featured compositions included works, performances, music and artistic contributions by Alexander Ajemian, Khachatur Avetisian, Arno Babadjanian, Armen Babakhanian, Edward Baghdasarian, Avetis Berberyan, Lutfig Dourian, Gevorg Emin, Nune Esayian, Alexander Harutiunian, Hovig Hoveyian, Yeghishe Manucharian, Kate Fox Marcom, Greg Mazmanian, Natasha Middleton, Sarkis Najarian, Garig Pantourian, Shushan Petrosian, Aramayis Sahakian and Arsen Seropian.
Pupils of the Krouzian-Zekarian-Vasbouragan Armenian School participated in the concert with an emotional rendition of Hayrenikis hed (With My Fatherland) by Hovhannes Toumanian and a poem by Mikayelian, their teacher, which was accompanied by music prepared by Berberyan.
Proceeds from the performance went to support the ongoing educational and cultural efforts of AGBU and Hamazkayin.
