Farmington Hills Musician Performs During Art X Detroit Week

Farmington Hills resident Ara Topouzian, who is City of Novi Economic Development Director by day and Kresge Artist Fellow by night, will introduce audiences to Armenian and Middle Eastern music and more during Art X Detroit Week April 10-14. 

“Detroit Hye Times”, held at The Wright Museum Contemporary Arts Gallery in Detroit on April 12, 6:15 p.m., features a panel discussion and workshop with Topouzian and two other prominent Armenian musicians: Oud virtuoso Mal Barsamian from Boston, MA, and Northeastern University Professor/clarinetist, Leon Janikian.

They will lead a discussion on the origin of Armenian and Middle Eastern instruments and discuss the history of traditional Armenian music, with the trio performing samples of the music. This will be followed with a presentation by Topouzian on the history of Armenian folk music performed in Metro Detroit starting in the early 20th Century.

“Detroit has been home to over 40,000 Armenians in the metro Detroit area since the turn of the 20th Century,” said Topouzian. “I want to show the public the important role Armenian musicians played in the development of the Detroit community. These musicians came from the ‘old country’ and brought with them folk songs and their identity to Detroit. This workshop is a way to honor their work and contributions to Motown.”

The workshop will be followed by a concert of traditional Armenian folk and dance songs from 8:15 p.m.-10 p.m. featuring all three musicians, as well as Michael Shimmin on percussion. Both the workshop and concert are free.

Topouzian, the 2012 Kresge Artist Fellow, plays the Kanun, a 76-stringed laptop Middle Eastern harp. He has performed as both a solo musician and ensemble musician with Armenian and Middle Eastern artists throughout the country. In 2012, he appeared as a guest soloist with the Virginia Commonwealth University Symphony, performing an original concerto written for the Kanun.

An Armenian born in America, Topouzian grew up listening to music that describes simple village life or love and has been passed down by generations. The music is Topouzian’s identity and tells a distinct story that he wants to continue to tell to the new Armenian generations so they never forget, as well as to educate non-Armenian audiences that otherwise may never know about or hear the beautiful and rich music of Armenia.

“It is important to me as an Armenian-American and as a musician to do my part in preserving the history of our folk music,” said Topouzian. “As generations become older, the music I play is in jeopardy of extinction. I owe it to my heritage and the past musicians to do my part in keeping this music alive, music that tells the story of the Armenian people - both good and bad.”

For more information about Topouzian and his music, visit www.aratopouzian.com

Art X Detroit: Kresge Arts Experience is a five-day multidisciplinary celebration, from April 10-14, 2013, that will exclusively present works created by the 2011-2012 Kresge Eminent Artists and Artist Fellows, along with a special visual arts exhibition at MOCAD that runs through April 28.

For more information, visit www.artxdetroit.com

Source: Delcass Communications press release