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Merrimack Valley Genocide Commemoration Program on Sept. 20

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The Armenian Mirror-Spectator
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MerrimackHaig Hovsepian[1][1]By Tom Vartabedian

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — A commemoration with the theme, “Weaving Armenia’s Story through Music” will take place Sunday, September 20, at 3 p.m. at North Andover High School.

The centennial observance is being sponsored by the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee of Merrimack Valley, expecting to draw a large number of patrons.

Highlighting the program will be young violin virtuoso Haigaram Hovsepian, accompanied on the piano by his mother, Ani, featuring popular and classical favorites.

The main speaker will be Dr. Henry C. Theriault, professor/chairman of the Philosophy Department at Worcester State University.

Winners of a student essay contest will read their papers. Students in various schools were asked to address the subject of what this genocide centennial means to them. Monetary prizes will be distributed that afternoon.

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Noted radio personality Janet Jeghelian will serve as mistress of ceremony.

A synopsis of genocide education throughout the schools and libraries of Merrimack Valley will be presented by Dr. Ara Jeknavorian and Tom Vartabedian, members of the Armenian Genocide Education Committee of Merrimack Valley. Visits were made to more than 15 institutions, drawing a host of positive feedback.

A reception will follow.  There is no admission charge.

Net proceeds raised through contributions and program ads will go toward worthy Armenian Causes. Since the group’s inception more than two decades ago, some $75,000 has been donated to charitable encounters in Armenia as well as here.

“In what has been a significant milestone in our history, Merrimack Valley remains at the forefront of genocide education and the culture and history which surrounds it,” said Sossy Jeknavorian, chairwoman.  “We involve the youth and just recently saw the end of a survivor legacy in our midst with the passing of Nellie Nazarian. It is to them — our survivors as well as the persecuted victims of 1915 — that we owe this debt of allegiance. Future generations have kept the momentum going in our community. For that, we remain grateful.”

Fresh off an exhilarating debut with the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra, Haigaram Hovsepian has been impressing listeners since the age of 4. He is currently a junior at Belmont High School and studies at the New England Conservatory of Music.

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

He is also a saxophonist and a member of the Belmont High School Wind Ensemble as well as the prize-winning Jazz Collaborative. Two years ago, he won an Armenian Youth Talent Music Competition which resulted in a performance at Carnegie Hall. This year, he became a finalist in the Belmont High School Concerto Competition to win a performance with the Waltham Philharmonic and Belmont High.

Ani Hovsepian is her son’s favorite accompanist. Together, they serve as the perfect complement. She studied at Komitas (Armenia) and St. Petersburg (Russia) State Conservatories, along with Brandeis University (Waltham). She holds separate graduate degrees in Performance, Education, Music, History and Art Criticism.

Throughout her distinguished career, Ani Hovsepian appeared in Piano and Ensemble performances in Armenia, the former Soviet Union and United States, including the Komitas Choral Society of Greater Boston.

Theriault is into his 17th year of teaching. He coordinated the university’s Center for the Study of Human Rights.  He has published numerous journals, articles and chapter on genocidal studies and has earned an honorable reputation among the great scholars on Armenian Genocide and human rights education. He has chaired the Armenian Genocide Reparations Studies Group and co-authored its March 2015 final report.   Theriault has traveled the world, speaking in behalf of the Armenians and looks forward to his visit in Merrimack Valley with great anticipation.

Jeghelian is well-known to the Massachusetts Armenian community as a Boston talk show hostess. She has been a 35-year member of the choir at St. Stephen’s Church.

For the past 20 years, she has worked as a physical therapist and rehabilitation department director at The Stone Institute in Boston. Over the years, Janet has been extremely involved in a number of Armenian-American causes, including the nursing home in Jamaica Plain and Armenian Women’s Welfare Association. She has been a member of the Erevan Choral Society of Greater Boston for the past 20 years.

North Andover High School is located at 430 Osgood St., off Route 125. The public is invited.

 

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