A Day of Armenian Music at UCLA

Called “dashing and extraordinary” by The Strad Magazine, the Apple Hill String Quartet has earned praise around the world for its concerts presenting interpretive mastery of traditional repertoire, neglected masterpieces, and music from around the world, as well as world premieres and commissioned pieces. As resident musicians and Co-Artistic Directors at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, winner of the 2016 CMAcclaim award from Chamber Music America, the Quartet serves as the Music Directors and core faculty for Apple Hill’s Summer Chamber Music Workshop attended by 300 students of diverse ages, levels, and backgrounds.

During the regular concert season, in conjunction with Apple Hill’s Playing for Peace program, the Quartet performs concerts and conducts residencies locally in New Hampshire, nationally in major U.S. cities, and internationally around the globe in venues as diverse as the Ketermaya refugee camp outside of Beirut, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, the Conservatorio National de Musica in Lima, the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and UCLA. The Quartet has collaborated with members of the Brentano String Quartet, Silk Road Ensemble, Dorian Wind Quintet, Hirsch-Pinkas Piano Duo, New York Philharmonic, and Community MusicWorks in Providence, RI. Most recent studio recordings include the premiere of Dana Lyn’s Suite for Fiddler and String Quartet, a revival of Ahmed Adnan Saygun’s String Quartet No. 1, and transcriptions of Purcell Fantasias. Members of the Quartet have received degrees from Oberlin Conservatory, the Juilliard School, Peabody Conservatory, New England Conservatory of Music, Manhattan School of Music, SUNY Stonybrook, and a Fulbright Award to London, England.

UCLA VEM Ensemble

The VEM Ensemble is the cornerstone of the newly created Armenian Music Program at UCLA, which⁠—thanks to generous donor support, as well as artistic guidance of the Lark Musical Society⁠—endeavors to raise awareness and celebrate the richness and diversity of Armenian musical tradition.

In residence at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and under the artistic leadership of Founder/Director Movses Pogossian, the Ensemble consists of the VEM String Quartet and mezzo-soprano Danielle Segen. The VEM Ensemble has worked with such musicians as David Starobin, Nickolas Kitchen, Kim Kashkashian, Seth Knopp, and Tigran Mansurian. The Ensemble has performed at various venues in Los Angeles including Zipper Hall, Bing Theater, Schoenberg Hall, the Hammer Museum, as well as in New Mexico, Colorado, and the Incontri in Terra di Siena Festival in Italy. In his review of their performance in Italy, critic Laurence Vittes writes, “The evening’s most memorable music was made by the VEM Quartet…who laid out Eduard Mirzoyan’s String Quartet with a feline, subtle grace that touched hearts with its gentle melodic content and long-lined eloquence.”

The VEM Ensemble has recently performed with great acclaim in Yerevan, Armenia, and is featured in the newly released CD of Armenian Music by the Naxos-distributed label, New Focus Recordings.

Armen Adamian

Armen Adamian is a Ph.D. student in Ethnomusicology at UCLA. His research investigates the politics of music making among Armenians and the involvement of musical and choreographic discourses in the production of geopolitical and national narratives. Alongside his academic studies, Armen practices duduk and leads an Armenian folk ensemble in Los Angeles. He received his MA in Ethnomusicology from UCLA, a BA in Psychology and a BA in Music Composition from Humboldt State University.

Movses Pogossian

Movses Pogossian made his American debut with the Boston Pops in 1990, about which the  Boston Globe wrote: “There is freedom in his playing, but also taste and discipline. It was a fiery, centered, and highly musical performance…” Prizewinner of several competitions, including the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Competition, he extensively performed as soloist and recitalist worldwide. As chamber musician, Pogossian has collaborated with such artists as Kim Kashkashian, Alexei Lubimov, Jeremy Denk, Rohan de Saram, and with members of the Tokyo, Kronos, and Brentano string quartets. He is Artistic Director of the acclaimed Dilijan Chamber Music Series, currently in its 15th season (www.dilijan.larkmusicalsociety.org). Champion of new music, Pogossian has premiered over 70 works, and worked closely with composers such as Kurtág, Harbison, Saariaho, Mansurian, and Gabriela Lena Frank. Pogossian’s discography includes the Complete Sonatas and Partitas by J. S. Bach, solo violin CDs “Inspired by Bach”, “Blooming Sounds”, and “In Nomine”, and recently released “Con Anima” album of Tigran Mansurian’s music on ECM label. In his review of Kurtág’s “Kafka Fragments” (with soprano Tony Arnold) Paul Griffiths writes: “…remarkable is Pogossian’s contribution, which is always beautiful, across a great range of colors and gestures, and always seems on the edge of speaking—or beyond.” Movses Pogossian is Professor of Violin at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and also Founding Director of the UCLA Armenian Music Program (https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/resources/armenian-music-program/). As Head of the Los Angeles Chapter, he actively participates in the Music for Food project (https://musicforfood.net/) which raises awareness of the hunger problem and gives the opportunity to experience the powerful role music can play as a catalyst for change.

Please consider supporting the UCLA Armenian Music Program – we are thankful to all of our supporters and fans!