The fourth annual Armenian Music, Arts and Culture Day at UCLA will be a one-day festival highlighting the depth and breadth of the Armenian music program through a variety of engaging events. The program will begin with a reading by poet and musician Raffi Joe Wartanian, who teaches undergraduate writing at UCLA. The reading will be followed by a writing workshop with the artist, accompanied by music. The day will kick off with a concert performed by VEM fellows of the Armenian Music Program and their mentors. AMP’s resident ensemble, the VEM Quartet, as well as VEM fellows and vocal, duduk, shvi, kamancha and oud instructors will present vibrant performances of Armenian repertoire in different styles. Following the concert, an outdoor community dance workshop will highlight the azgagrakan (ethnographic) shourchbar. Finally, the day will conclude with a film screening and discussion, highlighting Oscar-winning short films The last repair shop and short films Conversation with a woodwind master. The Q&A portion of our festival will be introduced and moderated by UCLA Film Professor Zareh Arevshatian.
12:00pm – Poetry Reading and Workshop—Register here! | Lani Hall
2:00 pm – Refreshments | Schoenberg Music Building
2:30 pm – Armenian Music Program Concert | Lani Hall
4:30 pm – Public Dance Workshop | Fuller Museum Amphitheater
5:30 pm – Film Screening and Discussion | Fuller Museum Lennart Auditorium
8:00pm – Closing Reception | Fuller Museum Amphitheater
All events will be free and open to the public.
The Armenian Music Program at UCLA is an academic program dedicated to the study and performance of Armenian music. It offers public concerts, workshops, community outreach, undergraduate courses in Armenian music and dance, and scholarships for UCLA students to study and perform diverse styles and repertoires of Armenian music. The project is supervised by Professor Melissa Bilal.
