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Eva Gevorgyan
Armenia & KarabakhArts & Culture

Teen Pianist Eva Gevorgyan Delights Boston YerazArt Audience

by
Alin K. Gregorian
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BOSTON — The Boston-based arts aid organization YerazArt held a fundraising recital at the First Church on Marlborough Street on October 6, featuring Eva Gevorgyan, a 15-year-old pianist from Russia.

The church was packed with supporters and music lovers who were delighted with the talented young musician.

Gevorgyan performed pieces by Aleksandr Scriabin, Franz Liszt and Aram Khachaturian, reflecting her Russian and Armenian heritages and showcasing her immense talent and poise.

She was modest and charming, and only up close did one realize her extreme youth. From afar, with her glamorous red sparkling gown and utter dedication, she could have been mistaken for someone a couple of decades older.

Gevorgyan played straight for an hour, changing her tempo and touch for the various pieces. In fact, her performance elicited sustained applause and even a standing ovation.

Both the members of YerazArt and the 200 or so in the audience were delighted and enchanted by the young performer.

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Yerazart Co-Chair Anna Afeyan expressed her delight with the young performer. “She is an up-and-coming star. She has amazing stage presence and her musicality is remarkable for her age,” Afeyan said. “I got so emotionally taken by her.”

Afeyan added said after the concert, “it is worthwhile to be engaged in such an organization. It is our only fundraiser.”

The program raised $40,000.

From left, Sylvie Zakarian, Nicole Babikian Hajjar, Eva Gevorgyan, Arman Padaryan, Nina Festekjian, Ani Stepanian, Seza Seraderian, Anna Afeyan and Piruz Bogossian

Gevorgyan is one of the performers who has been helped by YerazArt, she added. She was part of the Young Artist program and played with the Armenian National Philharmonic.

According to a joint statement by event chair Seza Seraderian and YerazArt Co-Chairs Nina Festekjian and Anna Afeyan,  “Funds raised will benefit our various programs, including YerazArt Scholarships for masterclasses, international education and competitions, our Instrument Donation Program which focuses on carefully selected rare instruments (mainly wind and brass), YerazArt Summer School and our newly established Young Artists Program.”

They added, “We hope to get more people to join and support YerazArt to make it possible to nurture more young musicians from Armenia. Our vision is to expand our support to young musicians as we help them grow artistically and professionally. Whether they join the local Armenian musical stage or achieve stardom on the global stage, we feel we would have played a role in their success and helped them reach for their Yeraz (dream).”

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator
Topics: Concert, YerazArt

Seraderian thanked the Afeyans and the Festekjians for co-founding YerazArt. Now, she said, “we represent Armenia on the global stage.”

From left, Noubar Afeyan, Eva Gevorgyan and Raffi Festekjian

Arman Padaryan, country director for YerazArt in Armenia, thanked those attending and said that because of YerazArt, many students participate in master classes, thus helping their future prospects in the music industry.

He also said YerazArt has provided many music students in Armenia with instruments, particularly wind instruments.

“It is a relatively small organization that makes a big difference,” he said.YerazArt in recent years has been focusing more on educational programs in Armenia and less on concert tours, resulting in a better use of resources. In previous years, talented young performers were brought to the US for exposure to various top performers, teachers and conservatories. “This has proven a more impactful use of our resources,” the board said.

After the recital Gevorgyan said she was happy with how it went. She noted she loved the “very deep and challenging” pieces by Scriabin (Two Poems, Three Preludes and Valse).

And such musicality and precision don’t come easy; Gevorgyan noted that she practices about six to seven hours a day.

She has received dozens of first prizes, including from the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists, the Grand Piano International Competition (Russia), the Robert Schumann Piano Competition (Germany), T. Amirejibi International Piano Competition (Georgia) as well as several other Competitions in Italy, Poland and Portugal.

In addition, she won second prize at the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition in Dallas in June.

Gevorgyan was born in Moscow to an Armenian father and Russian mother. She has received a scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Lichtenstein. In addition, she has performed in many festivals, including Verbier and VP Bank Classic in Switzerland, Duszniki International Chopin Piano Festival in Poland, Perugia and Ferrara Piano Festivals in Italy and many others across Europe.

She has also performed with the Dallas Symphony, State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia, among others.

A Champagne reception featuring food from Nina Festekjian’s anoush’ella restaurant followed.

For more information on YerazArt and their activities, visit yerazart.org.

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