“Requiem and Resurrection,” a concert of remembrance on the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, was held in the sanctuary of New York’s St. Vartan Cathedral on Friday, April 23, as part of the Diocese’s commemoration of the milestone.

Some 800 people gathered for the event, including Ambassador Garen Nazarian, Armenia’s representative to the United Nations, along with other dignitaries and diplomats from U.N. member nations.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, presided and officiated at the requiem service that began the evening.

The concert featured works by Komitas, Khachaturian, and others, as performed by pianist Karine Poghosyan, the Merlin Virtuosi string quartet, and the St. Vartan Cathedral Choir under the direction of Maestro Khoren Mekanejian.

Ms. Poghosyan received a standing ovation for her stirring performance of Khachaturian’s Piano Sonata (1961). “She made a jaw-dropping impression,” commented master pianist Sahan Arzruni of Ms. Poghosyan’s performance. “The three-movement Khachaturian Sonata—a rarely performed composition—is a real tour-de-force for the virtuoso pianist. Technically pristine, Ms. Poghosyan brought out the driven qualities of the outer movements, and the heart-rending beauty of the middle section.”

Soloists Vagharshak Ohanyan, Anahit Zakarian, Anoush Barclay, Hasmig Meikhanedjian, and Maro Partamian also moved the audience with their renderings of Armenian choral pieces, with the St. Vartan Cathedral Choir lending a beautifully balanced texture and precision of tone.

The event was sponsored through the generosity of the Edward and Grace Alexanian Fund. Floral crosses – donated by Adrienne Alexanian in memory of her parents and grandparents – were displayed on trees surrounding St. Vartan Cathedral.

The concert was organized by creative directors Karine Poghosyan and Maestro Khoren Mekanejian, and the Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Vartan Cathedral.

“We see such horrors even today”

In formal remarks to the audience after the concert, Armenia’s UN Ambassador Nazarian noted the importance of bringing to an end Turkey’s policy of denial of the Armenian Genocide, emphasizing the important role played by the international community and the diaspora in this effort.

He also stressed that it is important for the international community to be committed to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and other international treaties on human rights, and to press Turkey to respect the provisions of these documents.

Failure to recognize the Genocide “resulted in untold suffering for millions others during and after World War II,” Ambassador Nazarian said. To the audience, and especially to his colleagues in the diplomatic community, Ambassador Nazarian said he saw them all as a coalition “committed to education aimed at the eradication, once and for all, of racism, xenophobia, and the prevention of genocides.”

The ambassador affirmed that “Throughout their history, Armenians have experienced intolerance over and over again.” But genocide was not something that ended in the remote past: the events of 1915 find echoes in the news of today, and “we see such horrors even today in different parts of the world.”

Appealing to his diplomatic colleagues, he said: “Today the international community is not responsible for such crimes [of genocide]. But we are responsible for not recognizing that crime.”

Source: www.armenianchurch.net