The University of Chicago Middle Eastern Music Ensemble: A Salute to Ziad el-Rahbani

 

Poster by Mariam Krisht

   

Established in 1997 at the University of Chicago, the Middle East Music Ensemble (MEME) serves as a platform for exploring the theoretical and historical traditions of the region through performance in a welcoming, familial, culture that nurtures all who join the ensemble.  MEME was founded by its first director Martin Stokes, the world-renowned ethnomusicologist, who was a professor in the Department of Music at the University of Chicago from 1998-1999.   At the beginning, the ensemble was a mere handful of musicians.  Over the years, the ensemble has grown in numbers and stature to become a well-established and revered ensemble in Chicagoland for expertly performing classical, folk, and popular Middle Eastern music with a focus primarily on the Arab, Persian, and Turkish traditions.  From the beginning, MEME was comprised of members from across the University and community members from around greater Chicago.

When Martin Stokes left the University of Chicago, Issa Boulos, a celebrated composer and jazz cross-over artist, became the became the director from 2000-2001.  Walid al-Hajali was the director from 2001-2002.  At that time, Issa Boulos became the director again from 2003-2010 and grew the ensemble from small to mid-sized.  In 2010, Wanees Zarour, the current director, took over. Under Wanees’s leadership, the ensemble has grown significantly in size.  At the first  concert of the academic year that just end, A Salute to Ziad Rahbani on December 7, 2025, the orchestra was the largest it has ever been with 50 musicians and a choir of 35.  At 85 in total, it is safe to say that MEME is the largest Middle Eastern orchestra in the United States. 

MEME performs three concerts a year at the end of the Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters.  Since 2012 when the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts opened on the University of Chicago Campus, every MEME concert has filled the beautiful 500-seat performance auditorium.

While the growth in ensemble membership is impressive, the musicianship, the talent level is probably at the highest level as well.  The new musicians that join MEME are simply more talented and experienced.  This is exemplified by the quality of the ‘first reads’ which is basically the first time a piece is played at a rehearsal.  Ten years ago, the first reads basically indicated how much practice was needed before the piece might be performance ready.  Now, it is amazing how much better our first reads are.  For simpler pieces, the first reads are practically concert ready.  For more challenging pieces, the first reads are much closer to being concert ready than ever before.

More and more at practices, someone in the ensemble will do something truly impressive enough that make others turn head to look.  It might be a bass run from C Mikhail, a beautifully executed enhancement from our cello, percussion, or woodwind sections.  Pan Fayang is amazing on the ney.  When Ronnie Malley plays an oud taksim, it is brilliant. If it is in nahawand, it is absolutely over the top.  More recently, a brass section has been added which is not typical in Middle Eastern music.  But they are totally able to accommodate the Middle Eastern maqams with ease.  This gives Maestro Wanees another wonderful color on his arrangement pallet.  Experienced musicians that join the ensemble in order to learn and perform Middle Eastern music for the first time benefit from the family culture of the ensemble and learn quickly in the nurturing environment.  The growth of our choir is equally impressive and is invaluable in all the genres we tackle, especially for classical Arab and Turkish music.

Up until the 2023-24 season, MEME had a tradition of the Fall concert being Turkish, the Winter concert Persian, and an all Arab program in the Spring Concert.  Starting in the 2024-25 season, Wanees moved us to a mixed format that will allow the ensemble to begin to include other regional tradition in their repertoire. 

As referenced earlier, one of the hallmarks of MEME is the unique culture that endears everyone to the ensemble.  The members are from ethnicities and religions that self-serving leaders use to divide people and create instability.  This is not the case in MEME.  The love for the music is the primary and uniting force.  Members of the ensemble see similarities, not differences, and the result is everyone often calling it ‘the MEME family.’  It is very powerful and central to MEME’s success.  More and more, MEME members perform in smaller groups in the Chicago World Music scene.

On July 26, 2025, all of MEME were saddened by the sudden passing of the famed Lebanese pianist, composer, playwright, and political activist, Ziad Rahbani at the age of 69.  Rahbani was very important to many of the ensemble members.  Wanees soon let us know that he wanted our Fall Concert as “A Salute to Ziad el-Rahbani” noting that Ziad was his primary musical influence and inspiration.  Wanees could have picked selections that were crowd pleasers and the ensemble could easily master.  But these weren’t the compositions of Ziad that influenced and inspired him.  Wanees instead choose a program of pieces that were fusion of jazz and Middle Eastern modal music.  He chose intricate orchestrations and had a vision to recreate live performances of these pieces which were even more interesting and intricate than the ‘official’ recordings.  He wanted to showcase the best of the famed and revered composer.

Simply, it was the most challenging repertoire MEME has ever performed for a few reasons.  First, Wanees’s vision would take the ensemble beyond the limits of anything they had ever played.  Lastly, the biggest challenge for Wanees was that there were no scores available of these live performances he wanted to emulate.  He spent several all-nighters preparing the score to be as accurate as he could be to Ziad Rahbani’s arrangements.  Wanees had a vision to bring this Salute to Ziad el-Rahbani to life on a grand scale.

The ensemble worked hard to prepare.  Wanees challenged, coaxed, guided, and motivated them to fulfill his vision and to make it a shared vision for everyone involved.  As the family we are, we responded and did exactly that.  We are always happy after a concert.  This time our happiness, our joy, was a quantum level or two higher than the norm.

The audience at MEME concerts are always appreciative.  For this concert, the audience was clearly there to “Salute Ziad el-Rahbani” and they really enjoyed the music.  They clapped along for the lively pieces and applauded louder and longer than any MEME concert in the past ten years.  The audience and the ensemble were certainly energized adding the overall excitement and enthusiasm in the auditorium. 

The concert included nine selections

 

1.     Mais el-Reem 
(click to hear this piece from our concert on FB)

2.     Salimli ‘Aleih

3.     Al Bosta

4.     Shou Hal Ayyam

5.     Film Amerki Tawil

6.     ‘Udak Rannan

7.     Khallasu il-Aghani

8.     Talfan ‘Ayyash

9.     Rah Nibqa Sawa

In a denouement discussion with Wanees, he lamented that “It was a bit unfair and a bit of a shame that the members of MEME worked so hard on this concert for only one performance.  This, however, is the fate of university ensembles like MEME.  It would have been nice to have several more performances.” Thankfully, the concert was professionally recorded and may be available on YouTube in the coming months.

Wanees also spoke about the family-like culture that defines MEME more so now than ever before.  “We encourage each other, have lots of involvement, to help run the orchestra from photography, visual elements, putting together the programs including translations of the lyrics, to running the MEME social media sites, and much more.  We encourage each other and praise each other. This culture was a critical catalyst in bringing this concert to life.  I am grateful to have such amazing people and musicians in our ensemble.”

Here are the reflections of some of the musicians.

 

Wanees Zarour and Firas Zriek

 

First and foremost, is Firas Zriek our featured guest artist for this concert.  Firas a Palestinian-born, New York-based kanun player, composer, and educator.  He studied jazz composition and performance.  He is known for taking the fusion of Middle Eastern maqam and jazz to the next level. 

 

This was a true tribute to Ziad Rahbani’s prolific legacy, the authenticity, accuracy and love for the music was well presented in Zarour’s re-arrangements and transcriptions, as well as the execution of the talented members of MEME, their love and belonging to this community is truly remarkable and it made my experience warm and valuable.

 

Ronnie Malley

Ronnie Malley is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, actor, and educator known for his work in bridging global music traditions. A fixture in Chicago’s world music scene, he is gifted oudist and has contributed to numerous award-winning theatrical and television productions. Ronnie is currently pursuing a PhD in Ethnomusicology at the University of Chicago.  He is an amazing mentor, cheerleader, and inspiration to everyone in MEME.

 

The 2025 fall MEME concert for Ziad Rahbani was truly spectacular. In almost 20 years of playing with the ensemble, this was the best I’ve heard it sound. Wanees did an excellent job remaining faithful in transcribing the arrangements, and the ensemble instrumentation was made for Ziad’s style. The choir, soloists, and instrumentalists all sounded amazing, and it’s always a pleasure to play along side the marvelous kanun player, Firas Zreik. Everyone brought their energy, musicianship, and joy to honor Ziad’s legacy, but most importantly, the ensemble and audience were all riding a wave together. It was a fitting tribute to a legendary artist.  

 

Sham Abyad is a Syrian-American vocalist and soloist based in the Chicago area, known for her performances in passionate interpretations Arabic music.  Besides MEME, she frequently performs with major ensembles, including the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra and the Tayf.  Sham and Karl El Sokhn were the lead vocalists for this concert.  Abdo Timejardine-Zomeño, clarinet, summed up Sham’s stellar performance in a post shortly after the concert: “I could listen to this queen sing all night long.” 

 

I think the arrangements were absolutely incredible. Wanees Zaarour is one of the hardest working composers and musicians I have ever seen, and honestly, I do not know how he does everything he does with so much passion and honesty. Ziad al Rahbani is his biggest influence, and you can feel how deeply Wanees loves Ziad’s work in every detail of this concert. It truly felt like a heartfelt salute to someone who has shaped so much of his musical world. I especially loved that Wanees chose to use Ziad’s live music and arrangements. That is extremely hard to do, and Wanees did it in a way where you would never guess how much work was put into it because of how smooth and natural everything sounded. Being able to transcribe music from a live concert with that level of accuracy and sensitivity is something that honestly only Wanees Zaarour would take on and deliver so beautifully. And as I mentioned earlier, I really believe Wanees was able to bring out all the emotions that exist across Ziad’s lifetime of work, and he did that in a concert that was actually very short compared to how much material Ziad has. Summarizing all of that into only nine pieces while keeping the work honest, real, sensitive, and beautiful is something I find truly impressive. It all came through so clearly during the performance. I am truly honored, and it is such a pleasure to sing under Wanees’s direction and to be part of the MEME family.

 

Mariam Krisht and Sham Abyad

Mariam Krisht is a Lebanese designer, creative director, and storyteller based in Chicago. She is the founder of KIFMAKAN, a creative studio and fundraising initiative that explores themes across Lebanon, Palestine, and the SWANA (South West Asia & North Africa) region. Mariam produced the beautiful graphics of Ziad Rahbani that graced the program and on-stage graphics for this concert.  She also sang in the choir for this concert.

 

The process of bringing Ziad Rahbani's cultural and artistic legacy to life demanded the very best of us, as a musical ensemble but also as a community forged in diaspora. I feel particularly honored, as a Lebanese graphic artist and a member of the choir, to have had the opportunity to share his work with the audience. I can only hope that our individual contributions resulted in a fitting tribute, especially at a time when his loss is felt so deeply.

 

I didn't initially set out to join the choir at MEME, I simply wanted to support the ensemble in whatever way was needed. So, to find myself performing Ziad Rahbani's songs with the choir, singing his words in unison - in a language that is actually foreign to some members of the ensemble - in celebration of such an important figure in Lebanese and Arab culture, was truly an unforgettable experience.

 

Mark Gavoor and Rasa Mahmoudian

Rasa Mahmoudian, the MEME Concertmaster, is an Iranian-born violinist, violist, educator, and cultural storyteller based in Chicago. His work is recognized for bridging diverse musical traditions, including Western classical, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Eastern European sounds.  Rasa is a superb musician and an very competent assistant to Wanees in practices.

 

MEME has never felt like ‘just an ensemble’ to me, it feels like family. Since I joined in January 2020, every concert has been a kind of lesson and a kind of celebration: I leave educated, entertained, and somehow lighter.

 

A big part of that is Wanees’s arrangements, and the way he moves through the world as a musician. They’re always thoughtful and sensitive, and you can feel the care in every detail. With so much grace, and a real awareness of the social and cultural threads of the region, he shapes programs that make you smile, make you think, and sometimes melt your heart.

 

Ziad Rahbani tribute was especially meaningful, and beautifully challenging. The music was transcribed and arranged with such devotion, like something precious being carried in open hands. Every member brought something to it, and together we created an experience that I don’t think anyone in the room will forget. There were so many moments that stayed with me: Sham sang with pure generosity, the kind that fills the room and stays with you. Karl’s debut brought humor and cool energy. The choir and orchestra poured everything into it and created such a powerful sound. And hearing Firas and Ronnie play so beautifully was a true gift.

 

Even at the after party, one thought kept returning: how can we do this again, so more people can hear it? I feel lucky that Mark Gavoor invited me into the MEME family, and I am truly grateful for the support, warmth, and belonging I’ve found here.

 

Yasmeen Abushawish

Lastly, Yasmeen Abushawish is a Palestinian-American singer-songwriter, music educator, audiobook narrator, and social activist based in the Chicago area.  She started with MEME in Choir and for this concert was part of the  six-person oud section anchored by her teacher, Ronnie Malley.

 

This experience with MEME has been so incredibly fulfilling and inspiring. I have been in the ensemble for about a year, and this concert was the first concert where I played oud with the ensemble. It had always been a dream of mine to learn to play oud.

 

This was my fourth concert with MEME and I must say, though all of them have been beyond special, there was something about this one in particular that words could not describe.

 

Wanees, our director, really made this experience incredible. His immense hard work, passion, and dedication to this music is truly remarkable. I think his commitment to transcribing, specifically LIVE recordings, of Ziad Rahbani’s works speaks volumes. There is an essence of humanity that Wanees captured when transcribing these works that only exist in the live versions of these beloved songs. The amount of work that went into this from his end is beyond what most people would ever be capable of doing, and that is a testament to his complete love for Ziad Rahbani’s music and dedication to honoring Rahbani’s legacy through this tribute.

 

This ensemble has been the biggest highlight of my life this past year. Especially in a time where our community is facing such tremendous hardships, spaces like this have been so healing. As someone who is of the Diaspora, MEME has made me connect so much deeper to my roots. This community has truly felt like home to me. Everyone is so welcoming and supportive and willing to help. It’s has been the best place for me to learn and grow in this craft. Everyone is so talented and to be performing music of this caliber with such amazing people is such a dream.

 

It is clear from these comments that MEME is very special ensemble with an amazing culture and camaraderie.  This Salute to Ziad el-Rahbani took the musicality of the ensemble to another level.  The future is full of promise for the Middle East Music Ensemble of the University of Chicago.  

 

From the Concert.
All other photos are from our rehearsals.

 

In Racine, an Armenian café revives the spirit of the ‘srjaran’

 

First published in the Armenian Weekly May 2, 2026 

A new Armenian coffee shop opened on Feb. 21 this year. Is it in Los Angeles? Watertown? Detroit, Philly, New York? Providence, Chicago, New Jersey? 

Hye Ground Café opened in historic downtown Racine. Yes, Racine, Wisconsin—which may make it even more newsworthy than any of the aforementioned locales. While Racine may not have the numbers of Los Angeles or New York, its Armenian community is every bit as proud of its heritage and unique blend of Armenian-American diasporan culture.

Hye Ground Café is the creation of Ari Antreassian, John Buchaklian, Melanie Buchaklian and Dr. Nick Akgulian. Ari, John and Melanie are the proprietors, and Nick owns the building in which the café is located. They all got together and decided that downtown Racine needed a good local coffee shop—with an Armenian theme. They wanted to preserve and showcase the Armenian presence and culture in Racine, which most locals experience only twice a year at two church picnics: St. Hagop’s Madagh Picnic and St. Mesrob’s Armenian Fest. 

 

Ari, Melanie, and Mark

They also hoped to honor and recreate a modern version of the agoumps and srjarans their grandparents and great-greatparents established to preserve a bit of their lost homelands after resettling in Racine—recreating the agoumps from 100 years ago. It is a beautiful sentiment and a lovely vision for this unique business in the heart of the Midwest.

With that vision in place, Ari, John and Melanie got to work bringing Hye Ground Café to life. They cleaned and refreshed the space and decorated it with photos taken by Melanie during Fuller Center for Housing trips to Armenia to build houses. One of the rugs was brought back many years ago by Melanie’s mother, Penny Giragosian. Wanting a place where people would stay and socialize, they created a warm and inviting setting of tables and couches reminiscent of the coziest urban coffee shops in Chicago and Milwaukee. The have tavloo, chess and other games for patrons to use.  

 

During the week, Ari largely runs the café. Melanie stops in every morning, and John joins on the weekends. They are a good team, well connected in the community and are excited to grow their business. There was steady traffic the Saturday I visited. Patrons and workers alike seemed to know one another well. Among the regulars I met were Mike Charkoudian, Abe Ouzounian and Joe Gabrielian—Abe and Joe having also participated in Fuller trips to Armenia. 

Melanie was inspired by a set-up she saw in Armenia, where coffee is prepared on hot sand heated by an electric burner. This method slowly brews the coffee at a gentle boil, rather than a full boil, allowing a thick and foamy crema to form. They duplicated this process at Hye Ground Café. The Armenian coffee was delicious, with a rich crema. 

Tavlu Players

As one might expect in a srjaran, they also read coffee cups. When they read mine, they saw an “ayp” and “pen” in the cup, which we took as a positive omen, given that I was there to write this review.

Abe is not only a regular but also the café’s handyman. John joked, “He fixes things Abe-style. He fixes it and…it breaks again and he fixes it a second time.” They both burst into the hearty laughter of dear friends cajoling each other, and everyone within earshot joined in. This speaks volumes about the vibe patrons can expect when at Hye Ground Café.

My Coffee Cup

The food and sweets menu include bagels and choreg. One can get the bagel plain, with cream cheese and, as you might expect, with basturma. There is paklava and paklava à la mode. They also serve Armenian ‘S’ cookies and affogatos (like the café glace that is so popular in Armenia). Sweet specials, written on a chalkboard, vary day to day depending on what Melanie decides to whip up. 

These pastries are always Armenian and always homemade, based on family recipes rooted from Tomarza and Kharpert. The nazouk comes from a recipe by Melanie’s aunt, Adrienne Dodakian, while the khurabia recipe is from John’s aunt, Mary Djibilian. As a result, both are refreshingly unique—fresher and tastier than what one usually finds in Arab stores across greater Chicagoland. Since my visit, they have also added cheese boereg and an egg sandwich to the menu. 

Srjaran Sign

With the arrival of spring and summer, Melanie, John and Ari are planning to have a Hye Ground Café presence at various local events, including popular farmers’ markets. They are also looking to expand their modest kitchen to introduce more Armenian offerings. Local Armenian musicians have offered to perform in support of the café. 

A grand opening is also planned, during which the local Der Hayrs will bless the café; a beautiful touch, as Ari is a tbir at St. Mesrob and John is a tbir at St. Hagop.

If you find yourself in or around Racine or southeastern Wisconsin, it is certainly worth stopping by this srjaran. You will feel at home…a Racine Armenian home.

John, Melanie, and Ari

 

Hye Ground Regulars

 

Haig Buchaklian

 

Melanie making Armenian Coffee

 

 

Armenian Coffee and Nazouk

 

 

 

 

TAYF: Sahrit Saffron

   

I went to my third TAYF Concert on April 23, 2026.  This one was at the Color Club Ballroom on Chicago’s Irving Park neighborhood.  The concert was titled Sahrit Saffron which is an “expansive cultural night steeped in SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) roots and rhythms". The theme and the concert sought to evoke the warmth and light of saffron, acting as a celebration of existence, tradition, and cultural preservation. 

In light of the wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, the notions of existence, tradition, and cultural preservation are much more serious and precious.  This did not escape the producer and musicians of TAYF as they crafted the concert pieces and presentation.  The first half of the show was more somber and lamenting.  Songs, poems, and dances of lament is something that many SWANA cultures, sadly, have perfected and created in great numbers due to the history of the region.  The second half of the concert was more hopeful which is, of course, what buoys these same cultures to persist, honor traditions, and embrace their cultures.  TAYF delivered all this most in a beautifully crafted concert.

I have attended three TAYF concerts.  The first was their inaugural concert at the Old Town School of Music.  The second was in October of 2025, TAYF: From Ash to Bloom.  All three concerts were wonderful and enjoyable.  The group has evolved and grown with each concert.  In the concert last night, they took it to another level entirely.  I was really blown away.

They were in one word tighter.  In few other words, they were more comfortable on stage.  Tighter and more comfortable with each other, being on stage, and the music is part of the formula for musical excellence.  The arrangements were wonderful, highlighting each and every performer.  The interplay of the vocalists in leads, back-ups, and harmony was very well done.  The meld of music and Phaedra’s improvisational dancing was perfectly in-sync. The group was noticeable tighter than the other concerts I went to.  There were zero mistakes that I noted.  Everyone seemed more confident and they were not only ready for the stage last night.  I also believe they were ready for the recording studio and bigger stages. 

 TAYF  members at the Sahrit Saffron Concert:

• C Mikhail – Bass, Vocals           
• Sham Abyad –Vocalist
• Karl El Sokhn – Guitar, Riq, Drums, Vocals
• Dr. Aliah Ajamoughli, PhD – Cello
• Phaedra Darwish – Flute, Vocals, Dancer
• Dr. Shayna Silverstein – Violin
• Yasmeen – Dancer
• Pan Fayang – Guest flute, ney 

None of this happens without a lot of hard work and practice.  While the credit goes to the ensemble, the driving force and creator of TAYF, C Mikhail, clearly deserves a lot of credit.  C sets the tone, creates a beautiful culture for the group that nurtured and sustained their dedication to the group, and arranged all the songs except one for this concert.  Their arrangements were impressive in terms of fullness and texture.  I was most impressed by the way C highlighted the talents of Aliah, Shayna, Phaedra, and Pan that were notable in various passages throughout concert.  My ears perked up to very noticeable lush cello lines, soprano violin riffs, and beautiful flute adornments.  This kind of arranging added so much color and intricacy to the music.

 Here is the musical line-up for the evening.

• Morghe Sahar
• Hadi ya bahr
• Ya msafer wahdak
• Ala Tariq
• Kifak Inta
  
  
• Intermission
  
  
• Dak khilkeh
• Shou hal ayyam
• Baatilak
• Talfan Ayyash
• Ayshe wahda balak

 

I was impressed with C’s vocal skills.  For the opening musical piece, C sang Morge Sahar, a song regarded as an ‘anthem’ against injustice in Iran and the signature piece of the famed Mohammed Reza Shajarian.  C sang it in Farsi, not a language they are fluent in, while playing the bass.  It was beautiful.  C’s bass playing was also showcased in an engaging bass taksim.  C and Sham teamed up for a beautiful lament of just voice and bass.  It was very moving, maybe the highlight of the first half of the show.  Karl sang two songs and has become something of specialist in singing in the style of Ziad Rahbani.  Both Karl and Phaedra sang chorus parts in other songs as well.

I cannot comment on TAYF without praising Sham’s amazing singing.  She is something very special and her rich vocal stylings, alone, are reason enough to come to attend a TAYF concert.  Abdo Timejardine-Zomeño, a clarinet player in the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble (MEME), praised Sham after a MEME concert with perfect sentiment: “I could listen to this Queen sing all night.”  Indeed!  To me, she is ‘the Fairuz of Chicago.’

Queen Yasmeen and Phaedra’s dancing added a beautiful visual dimension to the performance.  Queen Yasmeen danced elegantly and gracefully to recorded music to both kick-off and end the concert.  Phaedra danced, interpretively, to pieces played by the ensemble.  It was art music and dancing embracing Arab culture.      

The crowd of friends and fans absolutely loved TAYF.  Probably a third were MEME members.  Every member of TAYF either is currently in MEME or once was.  Everyone in attendance loved each and every music and dance offering.  They showed it with loud, sustained, and enthusiastic applause.

The entire evening was curated and produced by BIYA BIYA Productions founded by Yasmeen Zacaria Mikhaiel, another MEME member.  Yasi made the evening more than just a concert, they had a bazaar of local merchants and organizations with tables on the periphery of the concert hall, there was photo booth with a live photographer, and a DJ dance party after the TAYF concert.  It was all very well done and made for a great evening all around.  BIYA BIYA Productions and TAYF are about the same age as both were founded just a few years ago.  Their teaming up was natural, and their growth has had the same trajectory.  This was the best TAYF to this point.  This was the best curated and produced TAYF event as well.  TAYF has solidified as an ensemble and were more natural and comfortable on stage, the same could be said about Yasi as well from her opening remarks and to how they interfaced with the audience, band, and staff.  I look forward to seeing this partnership grow and blossom.

The future looks very bright for TAYF and BIYA BIYA.  I will be the first in-line to buy a TAYF CD and, who knows, maybe even a TAYF World Tour 2028 hoodie.

=== Photos ===

Queen Yasmeen

 

Sham

 Phaedra

 

===

Click here more information on: 

This TAYF:  Sahrit Saffron event including bios of the musicians

BIYA BIYA Productions

Marianna Gevorgyan: A virtuoso voice of the Armenian kanun

 

First Published in the Armenian Weekly.

     We all have friends or acquaintances we have never met and only know through social media. We also have select lists of celebrities we follow online. Marianna Gevorgyan is both for me. First and foremost, she is a world-renowned master and virtuoso of the Armenian kanun. I delight in viewing the reels and videos of her performing. Marianna has become a social media friend as well, primarily because she responds to and engages with people like me who comment on and admire her musical talents. She is also gracious in her likes and comments on my musical posts.

     Marianna was born in Yerevan in 1986 and began her musical journey at the Alexander Spendiaryan Music School. She pursued higher education at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, completing her bachelor’s, master’s and postgraduate studies with high honors. Her dedication to the kanun has been the defining focus of her career.

     The Armenian kanun (also transliterated as kanon or qanun) is a trapezoidal zither that is centuries old. It is a cornerstone of Armenian folk and classical music, distinguished by its bright and resonant timbre. Unlike many stringed instruments that use wooden soundboards, the kanun’s bridge rests on goat or fish-skin membranes, producing a sharp, percussive tone that carries beautifully in both intimate ensembles and orchestras. 

     The Armenian kanun has 26 courses of three strings tuned to the same pitch, for a total of 78 strings. The instrument is played with two picks, one on each forefinger. The picks are held on the fingers by metal bands and are traditionally made of tortoiseshell (though modern ones use horn or synthetic materials), producing a sharp, clear attack. Virtuoso players like Marianna use all 10 fingers to play complex chords, arpeggios and full-bodied strumming.

 

     While the right hand plucks, the left hand frequently moves the small metallic levers, or mandals, near the tuning pegs to change pitch mid-performance. This allows the player to access accidentals and modulate between musical keys.

     In Armenia, the kanun is primarily played by women. They often begin at a young age, and many have seen videos of young girls playing with great intricacy and precision in unison. Marianna was one of those young musicians who has blossomed into an internationally recognized master of her instrument.

     Don’t just take my word for it. Kanun player and recording artist Ara Topouzian had this to say about Marianna: “Marianna doesn’t just play the kanun—she reveals its full voice. With striking versatility, she moves seamlessly between styles and moods, carrying a sound that resonates far beyond the stage. She is, without question, a pride of Armenia.”

     Duduk and clarinet virtuoso Mher Mnatsakanyan was equally exuberant in his praise of Marianna’s talent: “Marianna Gevorgyan stands among the most respected voices of the kanun today. Through her artistry, dedication and deep understanding of tradition, she continues to elevate the instrument, inspiring audiences and musicians alike across generations.” 

     Marianna has a long list of awards that includes:

• Global Icon Award (Music), 2025: Honored as the sole representative of Armenia at an event in Athens, Greece, organized with the support of UNESCO, UNICEF and the United Nations;
• World Folk Vision, 2020 Grand Prix: Won the top prize in the “Music of the Peoples of the World” category, competing against nearly 4,000 participants from 115 countries;
• Music Ambassador Award: Received first prize at an international competition held in India.

     Marianna is a wonderful player. Her virtuosity is enhanced by her grace, natural beauty and elegant gowns. She has been interviewed in the media and appeared on magazine covers around the world. She is also a cultural ambassador for Armenia. Artists around the world have painted portraits of her. She has inspired poets (including yours truly).

     Follow Marianna on social media and enjoy her YouTube channel @mariannagevorgyan.

Դուն Էն Հուրին Իս (Doun En Hoorin Is), penned Feb. 12, 2026

Floating gracefully upon
the pluckish tendrilities,
the babbling brookiness,
the very Armenian kanun,
the effortless emanation
from Marianna’s heart and soul,

I am there, in Hayastan,
in Amberd, at Saghmosavank,
nowhere near Yerevan,
in the small villages,
just imagining, channeling,
our tarn upon tarn
centuries older than old
sacred spirit vibrating
in our very genes.

The poem is best read listening to this rendition of the Sayat Nova song, which is the title of the poem.

  

Tigran Hamasyan captivates Chicago audience in University of Chicago performance

 

     Originally published in the Armenian Weekly.

     On Friday, March 13, we ventured to Hyde Park on Chicago’s South Side to attend a concert featuring Tigran Hamasyan and Third Coast Percussion (TCP). It was the second time we had seen Hamasyan perform. The first was two years earlier, again in March, which featured intense jazz in a hip concert hall in Lincoln Park. This performance, by contrast, took place in the more traditional, 400-seat performance hall at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Chicago.

      The audience also differed noticeably. At the earlier concert, the average age appeared to be around 30. This time, it was closer to 50. The concert quickly sold out, prompting the addition of a second performance to accommodate demand.

     The first half of the program featured Chicago’s acclaimed TCP, a Grammy Award-winning percussion quartet and composer collective founded in 2005. The ensemble has become a leading force in contemporary classical music, known for its “vibrant” (The New Yorker) and “hard-grooving” (The New York Times) performances.  

 

     The opening piece, Etude No. 1, was written by Hamasyan and arranged by TCP for percussion quartet. Hamasyan joined the ensemble for the performance. The piece was light and airy, with Armenian melodic phrases as the weft to the jazz warps. The interplay of piano, vibraphone and marimba created a rich musical tapestry of point and counterpoint.

     TCP continued with three additional selections, each commissioned with the support of benefactors. The first, Lady Justice / Black Justice, The Song, was composed by Jessie Montgomery and inspired by Ori G. Carino’s painting Black Justice. Montgomery described the work as “a deep collaboration and artistic symbiosis” between composer, ensemble and visual artist. “I am privileged to call them friends in music and in life,” he stated.

     The next piece, Orion, by Brazilian composer and guitarist Sérgio Assad, was written in celebration of TCP’s 20th anniversary in 2024. Structured in five movements, it showcased the ensemble’s virtuosity: Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin and David Skidmore performing with precision and dynamic range.

     The final piece of the first half, Sonata for Percussion, was composed by Hamasyan in 2024. I loved this piece. While structured in a classical sonata structure, it was done Hamasyan style, infusing Armenian motifs and melodic notions into a jazz form fluidly and seamlessly. 

      After intermission, the program shifted to Hamasyan’s solo performance. Taking the stage to vigorous applause, he sat at a concert grand Steinway and mesmerized us for about 45 minutes.

     The program listed “solo selections,” though it was not always clear where composition ended and improvisation began. I am not enough of a student of his work to know the answer to this question. What was clear, however, was the intimacy of the experience. Hamasyan’s playing moved fluidly between delicate, almost whispering passages and bold, percussive intensity. Armenian themes surfaced throughout, grounding even the most exploratory moments. It was soft and delicate sometimes and bold and edgy at others.

 

     What I enjoyed most was what I will call his aghpuir moments—named for the Armenian word աղբյուր, meaning “spring.” In these passages, often two-thirds of the way through a piece, Hamasyan would shift to the highest register of the piano, leaning over the keyboard, his eyes nearly level with his fingers. There, he would improvise fragments of Armenian melodies in a bubbling, fluid style, reminiscent of a natural spring or babbling brook, hence the Armenian word aghpuir.

      Following the performance, we met several Armenians, most of whom were from the Republic of Armenia. Some of them had driven two or three hours to be there and planned to return home that same evening. Although Hamasyan did not come to the afterglow, having performed in the same hall, I knew where the green room was. My wife, Judy, encouraged me to go and try to meet him. I was a little hesitant because I have heard that Hamasyan is a very shy person, but I did go and he was very gracious, taking a photo with me.

     Tigran Hamasyan is an immense talent—a national treasure for Armenians and highly regarded by a large non-Armenian following around the world. If you are unfamiliar with his work, find him on YouTube and listen to his music. And if he performs in your city, I wholeheartedly encourage you to go. I am most definitely a fan. 

 

 

 

A Beautiful Musical Day

 

The MEME Takht Ensemble

 

Saturday, March 14, 2026, was a beautiful day for music.  I had two engagements, both gratis, and both were fun and uplifting.

The first was a celebration of Nowruz at the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC).  Nowruz, meaning “new day,” is the celebration of the new year which, 3,000 years ago in Zoroastrian Persia, was celebrated on the first day of Spring, the vernal equinox.  To this day, Nowruz is still a significant holiday, a national holiday, in present day Iran.

The Nowruz celebration at the ISAC is a family oriented craft and educational event.  It ends with members of the University of Chicago Middle Eastern Music Ensemble (MEME) giving a concert of Persian, Arab and Turkish music.  I have participated in this event maybe a half-dozen times in my 12 years with MEME. 

MEME has grown dramatically in size over the years.  At the concerts this year, we have 40-50 musicians and a choir of 20-25, depending on the concert.  We have only taken a takht ensemble (Arab for a small musical ensemble) to the Nowruz event as the stage is small.  This year we had 9 musicians and 6 singers.  It was the largest group we have ever taken to this event.  Only the musicians were on stage, and the choir was in front of us, stage right.  We introduced the instruments and spoke about MEME and our next concert on May 23^rd.  We played two Persian songs, one Turkish, two Arabic, one Kazakh song, and a song that has verses in Turkish, Arabic, and Farsi. 

There were two practices for this concert.  The first was on the Thursday before, but a little more than half of us were able to be there.  The three of us playing Middle Eastern Instruments were not able to attend that practice.  The second was two hours before the concert.  We walked into that practice not feeling we were ready for the concert, but after two hours of focused work, we were ‘ready for prime time.’

We had a grand time practicing and performing.  The audience of 120 or so loved our performance, maybe almost as much we enjoyed playing.  It was a lot of fun and we were tight.  We were energetic for the lively selections and soulful for the laments.  It was a great joy to play with my MEME friends. 

If this were the only event, it would have been a beautiful musical day.  But, as soon as we were done, I had to jump in the car and drive to Glenview to attend and provide some music at a very special birthday celebration. 

The birthday girl, MariAnne, is a lovely lady who was turning 90.  Her parents survived the Armenian Genocide and came to America.  The lived in a part of Western Armenia, the Ottoman Empire, where Turkish was the prominent language.  They brought a love for Turkish music with them.  MariAnne came to have the same love for the music.  I met her when I first moved to Chicago in 2006.  She was at night club we were playing at and asked if would play what turned out to be some of the same music I love.  I gladly played, and sang the songs.  We became good musical friends.

Her family planned a birthday party at the senior care facility where she was living.  It was in small party room at the facility.  The party was organized by her grandchildren for an intimate gathering of family and close friends.  I was delighted when asked to come and play some of her favorite songs, I immediately agreed to do it.  But, I knew I only had an hour to there.  Driving through the often intense downtown traffic could take an hour or up to two hours.

Luckily, it only took an hour to get there.  I ran up to the room and my friend John, who was to join me on guitar, was already there.  MariAnne’s grandson had a very nice sound setup for as.  I began with a taksim.  MariAnne lit up.  I went into her favorite song, Kadifeden Kesesi, and I delighted to see her singing along with me sitting right in front of us.  She sang every word of every verse.  She was so happy.  After a few more songs, they brought out the cake and we played and sang happy birthday.  At similar parties, I would go into another Turkish song, Tin Tin Tini Mini Hanum.  I did so again and MariAnne’s her daughters and granddaughters got up and danced in a circle around her.  It was a joyous moment for everyone! 

What a beautiful musical day.