Pianist Ruzanna Minasyan won second prize at the Alfred Schnittke Akademie International Piano Competition that was held from March 22 to 25 in Hamburg, Germany. The young pianist was part of the YerazArt Concert Tour of 2006 and is currently honing her skills under the guidance of Professor Bernd Goetzke at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover, one of Germany’s most renowned institutions for professional training and academic study.

YERAZART ARMENIA DIRECTOR HONORED WITH GOLD MEDAL

Yerevan, September 2011 – The Ministry of Culture of Armenia awarded Arman Padaryan,
YerazArt Armenia Country Director, with a Gold Medal recognizing his many achievements in the field of arts and culture development in Armenia. The ceremony took place at the Komitas Chamber Music Hall on September 26. Padaryan, who is also general manager of Hover Chamber Choir and general producer of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, dedicated his prize to YerazArt.

CHKOLYAN RECIPIENT OF GOLDEN DUDUK AWARD

On December 20, 2010, YerazArt fellow Harutyun Chkolyan (duduk, class of 2007and 2008) received the Golden Duduk Award from the Los Angeles- based Hakop Khachatrian's Akhtamar Records, in recognition of his outstanding talent. The golden duduk is covered with 160 diamonds and comes along with a golden clef. Chkolyan placed second earlier on at the National Duduk Competition which took place in Yerevan from May 4 to August 10, 2010.

NARA AVETISYAN ADMITTED AT CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC

YerazArt fellow Nara Avetisyan (piano, class of 2007) was accepted at the prestigious Cleveland Institute of Music to hone her skills and further her musical education under the expert guidance of renowned Professor Sergei Babayan. She is slated to start in fall of 2011.

MANE GALOYAN SHINES IN RUSSIA

YerazArt fellow Mane Galoyan (voice, class of 2009) was awarded Grand Prix at the X International Competition of Young Vocalists of Academic Genre in Yekaterinburg (Russia), which was held February 4 to10, 2011.
The jury was headed by Urals State Conservatory professor and People’s Artist of the USSR Vera Bayeva.

ALEKSANDR IRADYAN ADMITTED AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Pianist Aleksandr Iradyan, age 20, was accepted at the Florida International Universtiy - Graduate Program, where he was also granted the Carlos Piantini Teaching Assistantship in Conducting. YerazArt was instrumental in this successful endeavor, offering the young pianist valuable administrative and financial support throughout the year.

YerazArt fellow Mane Harutyunyan awarded 5,000 euro grant to join Frankfurt Conservatory

In December 2009, oboist Mane Harutyunyan, who took part in the YerazArt North American concert tour of 2009, has been awarded a 5,000 euro grant from the Prime Minister of Armenia, Mr. Tigran Sarkissyan, to help cover the tuition costs of her enrollment at the Frankfurt Conservatory (Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main) – Germany. Thanks to months- long assistance and guidance from YerazArt, Mane did not stop seeking out opportunities and is now slated to join the Frankfurt Conservatory in April 2010, where she will hone her skills under the direction of Professor Fabian Menzel .

YerazArt trio shares spotlight on Komitas 140 CD

Recently released by the Ministry of Culture of Armenia to mark the 140 th anniversary of the legendary Armenian composer Komitas, the Komitas 140 CD features a recording of Al Ayloughs as performed by the YerazArt Trio back in 2007. The Trio was selected, along with 10 other famous groups, such as the National Chamber Choir of Armenia and the Komitas Quartet, to appear on this historic CD designed as a tribute to the famous composer. The CD, which is not intended for sale, was offered to guests of the ArtExpo 2010 held on February 12 and 13 in Yerevan.

YerazArt – supported pianist wins Grand Prix at Yekaterinburg Piano Training Competition (Russia)

In February 2010, 19-year old pianist Aleksandr Iradian received the Grand Prix of the 2 nd Yekaterinburg Piano Training Competition in Russia. Iradian was the beneficiary of financial support from YerazArt in cooperation with the Komitas Conservatory and the Ministry of Culture of Armenia.

YerazArt Cellist Admitted to the Colburn School - Los Angeles

Boston, April 19, 2009 - YerazArt, a non-profit organization dedicated to nurture, support and promote talented young musicians from Armenia, announced today that one of their fellows, Vardan Gasparyan, was accepted at the Colburn School Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles. Vardan, a 20- year- old cellist from Yerevan, Armenia was one of the few musicians that were selected and sponsored by YerazArt to participate in their 2008 North American Concert Tour. While in Los Angeles as part of this tour, Vardan was approached by the Colburn School and was strongly encouraged to apply for a full scholarship at this conservatory which boasts a renowned faculty.

With further financial and logistical support from YerazArt, Vardan was able to make yet another trip from Yerevan to Los Angeles to give a live audition and was successfully admitted to the Bachelor of Music (BM) degree program on a full scholarship. Vardan will join the program this fall.

“We are all very proud of Vardan for his achievement, and are confident he will do very well at Colburn and in his career as a cellist. YerazArt is happy to have been part of his growth as a musician and hopes to replicate this success with other young musicians from Armenia,” said Noubar Afeyan, co-founder of YerazArt.

YerazArt is currently holding auditions in Armenia in preparation for their next North American concert tour which will be taking place in fall of 2009.

About the Colburn School

The Colburn School encompasses the Colburn School of Performing Arts (CSPA) and the Conservatory of Music (CCM). The Conservatory of Music is a highly-selective college offering classical instrumental music training at the baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate levels. This community school attracts a wealth of talents among the finest young musicians in the world, from the United States to Asia, Europe and Australia.

About YerazArt

YerazArt is a Boston-based, non- profit organization co-founded in 2004 by Noubar Afeyan and Raffi Festekjian. The mission of YerazArt is to nurture, support and promote young musical talents from Armenia by providing assistance in their professional development, facilitating their participation in international competitions, and offering them exposure to western audiences through an annual concert tour.

US/Canada Concert Tour 2010