Naregatsi Art Institute, Yerevan, Armenia

Today the Paros Chamber Choir was featured at a concert organized by the Naregatsi Art Institute to commemorate the Armenian Genocide and Easter.  Paros closed the concert with five a capella songs: Tebe Poyom by D.Bortnyansky, Quando Corpus from Stabat Mater by G.Rossini, Norahrash by Komitas, Echmiadzin by K.Meykhanajyan, and Hayr Mer (The Lord’s Prayer) by Komitas.

The Paros Chamber Choir performs Non ti scordar di me with the world-renowned tenor Placido Domingo and a Grammy award winning operatic soprano from Puerto Rico Ana Maria Martinez during Domingo’s Yerevan, Armenia concert at the Karen Demirchyan Sport & Concert Complex.  Domingo invited the Choir to perform alongside him the day before when they welcomed him to the National Assembly.

On December 2, Chairman of the RA National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan received world-renowned singer Placido Domingo.

In honor of the famous tenor’s visit, before the meeting, the “Paros” chamber choir of the disabled performed songs by Komitas at the patio of the National Assembly. The Spanish tenor thanked the choir members and mentioned that he was impressed by the reception.
“This was a surprise for me,” said Mr. Domingo. Hovik Abrahamyan surprised the choir members by inviting them to take part in the tenor’s concert tomorrow, while Placido Domingo offered the choir to perform with him on stage.
After the performance, NA Chairman Hovik Abrahamyan and Placido Domingo held private talks.
Greeting the talented artist, Hovik Abrahamyan said the maestro’s visit is an exclusive event in Armenia’s culture. The NA Chairman mentioned that the great singer has many fans in Armenia and this is the best opportunity for them to hear high-quality classical music. Hovik Abrahamyan offered Placido Domingo to visit Armenia again and give a joint concert with his colleagues, including Charles Aznavour.
Placido Domingo expressed gratitude for the reception and mentioned that it was a great honor for him to be in a country with a centuries-old history and traditions and perform in front of an Armenian audience. He accepted the NA Chairman’s invitation to visit Armenia again and perform with Charles Aznavour with pleasure. The world-famous tenor also mentioned that he heads the “Our Europe” Association, which is involved in restoring and preserving world cultural heritage and expressed willingness to include the best historical-cultural values in the list of the association.

Source: A1plus.am

Paros Chamber Choir Awarded Gold Medal

On May 18th, the Paros Chamber Choir performed a well attended concert organized at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts.  Among the capacity crowd were several representatives of the Republic of Armenia government including the Chairman of National Assembly, Minister and Vice-Minister of Culture, Vice-Minister of Labor and Social Issues and several Members of Parliament.  Prior to the concert, the Vice-Minister of Culture made a special presentation of a Gold Medal to Mr. Armen Alaverdyan, Executive Director of Unison, NGO and Director of the Paros Chamber Choir, “for great contribution in spreading choral art throughout Armenia and effective public activities.”  Alaverdyan graciously accepted this award and encouraged the Chairman of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamian to consider granting the Paros Choir with official State status. Abrahamian positively responded to this request and invited the choir to perform at the National Assembly Park a month later.  The concert and award presentation was covered by all major Armenian media.

Paros Chamber Choir and Maestro Mikaelian Perform Vivaldi’s Gloria

At three major performances around Yerevan, The Paros Chamber Choir and the Yerevan Komitas Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, both conducted by Maestro Raffi Mikaelian, impressed audiences with an inspiring performance of Vivaldi’s Gloria.

The May 18th Concert at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts was “standing room only” and the enthusiastic audience was treated to beautiful music in an incredibly beautiful gallery of world renowned glass art.  The concert was organized as part of the International Day of Museums.

On May 24th, Maestro Raffi Mikaelian impressed the audience of more than 1,200 people at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall, conducting both Choir and Orchestra in this combination Gala Concert and Graduation Ceremony.  Mikaelian led the Orchestra through Beethoven’s Coriolan, then led both the Paros Choir and the Orchestra through Vivaldi’s Gloria and concluded the second part of the Concert with Beethoven’s 7th Symphony.

On June 21st, the grounds of the National Assembly provided a beautiful setting for another performance by the Choir and Orchestra.  Hovik Abrahamian, Chairman of the National Assembly again thanked the Choir and upheld his pledge to grant State status to the Choir.  The Concert was well attended by both members of the Parliament, staff members and the public at large.

Ghoghanj Children’s Center Benefits from Paros Volunteers

For the last six months, the students at the Ghoghanj Children’s Center have benefited from the volunteer efforts of several volunteers that were connected with the Center through Paros Foundation efforts. During the school year, husband and wife team, Mathew and Annie Ash volunteered regularly working with the children on design, English and computer classes. In July, Corey and Stephanie Dolik and Jennifer Tosoian volunteered working with the students in theater and design class. The children truly benefited from this experience and are looking forward to return visits.

The Paros Foundation stands ready to assist other individuals who are searching for a meaning volunteer experience working with one of the six Paros supported projects in Armenia.

Ghoghanj Children’s Center Successfully Launches Computer Classes

Thanks to a generous donation by the Goshtigian Family from Los Angeles, Ghoghanj successfully launched an introductory computer class for students this spring. This inaugural class consisted of seven students ages 12 to 16, and was taught by Dn. Matthew Ash, a seminarian of the Gevorkian Seminary and former IT specialist. The students have covered topics beginning with introductory computer concepts and reached Internet communication and research tools. It is continuing with a review of online learning resources and an introduction to Microsoft Office.

“It’s amazing how much information we can find on the Internet,” said Anahid Ghalumyan (Age 15), “this is going to change the way I learn.”

Ghoghanj’s computer classes are giving students an important advantage that will increase their opportunities for success and provide them with valuable skills.

Special Note: The Ghoghanj computer class is in need of good quality new or used laptop computers. If you would like to donate one, please contact peter@paros-foundation.org.

Government of Norway Grants Support 

Thanks to the Government of Norway and Mr. Timothy Straight, the Honorary Consul of the  Royal Norwegian Consulate, projects from the Manana Youth Center and Unison NGOs have received needed funding for their implementation.

The Manana Youth Films studio received a grant to go to Turkey and film on the Turkish side of the border for its work on the “Neighbor’s” film project. The film is being produced with the support of Royal Norwegian Embassy, the Armenia Turkey Cinema Platform organized by Golden Apricot International Film Festival and Anadolu Kultur. The Manana Youth Center also received funding to help operate its film studio classes for students.

The Unison, NGO, which advocates for the rights of people with disabilities in Armenia, won a grant to organize a regional conference on disabilities. The Conference will include partner organizations in Iran and Georgia. The Virtual Conference will take place via the internet and link the three conference locations together providing access and maximizing participation. The conference goals are to begin developing regional relationships to address, compare and contrast the situation of people with disabilities in these neighboring countries. As part of the project grant, relevant conference materials will be translated and posted to a common website accessible by all.

Manana Youth Film Crew Hits a Hurdle

In an unexpected and frustrating twist to the production of the “Neighbors” film project, the Manana Youth Film Crew was prohibited from filming in the Turkish Border area despite already having received relevant permissions from the Turkish authorities. “Neighbors” is focused on two border villages—one on the Armenian side and one on the Turkish side of the border. Filming has progressed well in the Armenian village, and the film and its premise has already won accolades. Thanks to recent funding for the film (see previous story) the four member crew departed with permissions in hand to Turkey only to arrive and be told that the permissions they were issued were not the required ones. After a couple of days of trying to obtain the final permission to film, the crew decided to return to Yerevan and return to film at a later date.

About The Paros Foundation

The Paros Foundation works with six organizations in Armenia involving the arts, children and people with disabilities. These organizations are recognized as leaders in their respective fields. Our support comes in the form of organizational operating funds, office space and operational resources and mentoring.

The mission is help these modest size projects manage their growth and attract more financial, human, and physical resources to their respective causes.
We have built a staff of travelling and in-country resources that other individuals or organizations may choose to utilize to implement their project and support their efforts to improve the quality of life and culture in Armenia.

The Foundation welcomes the involvement of our friends around the world.

Donations to The Paros Foundation, a 501(c)3 private foundation are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Representatives Pallone and Speier Hold Community Forum in Oakland

Oakland, CA—More than 160 members of the Armenian community in the Bay Area gathered at St. Vartan’s Armenian Church to discuss Armenian American issues with Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) on March 30, 2010.  The Forum was co-hosted by the Paros Foundation and St. Vartan’s Armenian Church, in cooperation with the Armenian Assembly of America’s Northern California Regional Council.

The evening proved to be both informative and interesting.  During brief opening statements, Pallone and Speier presented their thoughts on a number of relevant issues including the Armenian Genocide Resolution, Aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, the prospects of a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno Karabakh issue, in addition to healthcare and financial reform legislation.  Following brief opening statements, the audience was encouraged to submit questions of interest to both Members of Congress.  The discussion was co-moderated by Dr. Julie Kulhanjian and David Ojakian, who did an excellent job of pairing together and presenting the many questions on behalf of the audience.

In response to a question regarding the Turkey – Armenia Protocols, Congressman Pallone, who has served as Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues since its founding, indicated that although the ratification of the Protocols seem stalled, law makers and the administration in Washington applauds Armenia’s openness to take this controversial step with no pre-conditions.

Answering a question on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, that had recently passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congresswoman Speier pointed to the fact that a policy of denial hurts the development of Turkish society as a whole.

“We took the initiative to organize this evening’s event with Pallone and Speier because we feel strongly that our community must remain engaged with the U.S. Armenia relationship and our friends in Washington.”  Said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation, “Tonight was a really special evening in that we brought together two champions of our cause and a strong cross-section of the Bay Area Armenian community.  We express our appreciation to all the organizations that co-hosted and cooperated for the success of this event.”

Frank Pallone represents New Jersey’s Sixth Congressional District and was just sworn in to his 11th term in office.  Pallone serves as a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over issues pertaining to energy, environment, health care, commerce and telecommunications.  He also chairs the Committee’s powerful Subcommittee on Health.

Representative Jackie Speier represents California’s 12th Congressional District, encompassing the southwest quarter of San Francisco and most of adjacent San Mateo County. She was first elected in April of 2008 after eighteen years in the California Legislature. She serves on the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.  Representative Speier is a staunch advocate in Congress for issues important to the Armenian American community.

Launched officially in 2006, The Paros Foundation works with six organizations in Armenia which involve the arts, children and people with disabilities. These organizations are recognized as leaders in their respective fields. Foundation support comes in the form of organizational operating funds, office space and operational resources and mentoring. The mission is help these modest size projects manage their growth and attract more financial, human, and physical resources to their respective causes. The Foundation has built a staff of travelling and in-country resources that other individuals or organizations are encouraged to utilize to implement their project and support their efforts to improve the quality of life and culture in Armenia.

BAY AREA ARMENIAN COMMUNITY TO HOST REPRESENTATIVES PALLONE AND SPEIER

Berkeley, CA – On Tuesday, March 30th at 7:00 p.m. U.S. House of Representative Members Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) will engage the Bay Area Armenian community in an evening of lively discussion. The event is organized by the Paros Foundation and St. Vartan’s Armenian Church, in cooperation with the Armenian Assembly of America Northern California.The event will take place at St. Vartan’s Armenian Church, 650 Spruce Street, Oakland, CA 94610, telephone: 510-893-1671.

Event is open to the public and admission is free.

Frank Pallone represents New Jersey’s Sixth Congressional District and was just sworn in to his 11th term in office. Pallone serves as a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over issues pertaining to energy, environment, health care, commerce and telecommunications. He also chairs the Committee’s powerful Subcommittee on Health. Representative Pallone has served as Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues since its inception.

Jackie Speier represents California’s 12th Congressional District, encompassing the southwest quarter of San Francisco and most of adjacent San Mateo County. She was first elected in April of 2008 after eighteen years in the California Legislature. She serves on the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Representative Speier is a staunch advocate in Congress for positions on issues important to the Armenian American community.

 

On February 27th, Paros Foundation Chairman Roger Strauch, and Executive Director Peter Abajian joined the teachers, staff, children, family and friends of the Ghoghanj Children’s Center to celebrate the opening of their new location.
The Center is well located in a newly renovated space, provided to Ghoghanj rent-free by The Paros Foundation, at Moskovyan 38, Apt. 2, in downtown Yerevan.

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Venture capitalist Roger Strauch discusses Armenia

Roger Strauch is a first generation American who resides with his family in the Bay Area. He is a successful venture capitalist and chairperson of The Roda Group, which works primarily with cutting-edge high-tech firms. He has built and run several public companies and he has co-founded private companies that have been sold to industry leaders, including HP and Logitech. He is a well-known philanthropist who generously supports education and arts programs in the United States and Armenia. So, why does Mr. Strauch have a passion for things Armenian and why does he frequently travel to Armenia?

The Armenian Reporter had an opportunity to interview Roger Strauch recently.

The Strauch Kulhanjian Family during a visit to the historic Monastery Complex at Datev. Pictured left to right: Nairi, Paul, Alex, Roger and Julie.

AR: Roger, could you please tell our readers about your background and how you became a venture capitalist.

RS: Growing up, my family lived in Massachusetts and I successfully launched my first company while in high school. My company employed a team of technicians that provided services to the R & D departments of high-tech Route 128 businesses. I attended Cornell University for my undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and Stanford University for my master’s degree in electrical engineering. I very much enjoy developing an idea into a successful business model, and with the technology in the world changing so rapidly, I focused on the high-growth market of telecommunications. I co-founded a company that I ran for 14 years and when I retired from that venture, I wanted to do for others what my original investors did for me – create an environment that would attract and support the success of ambitious, hardworking entrepreneurs with clever ideas that could solve big problems in enormous markets.

AR: As a venture capitalist, how do you work with a company and what have been some of your successes?

RS: Generally speaking, we are a business-incubator type venture capitalist. We put up the initial funds to validate an idea in the form of a business. The Roda Group, a company that I formed with my college buddy, Dan Miller, not only invests financial resources into companies that we see as having a potential for growth, but also invests the human resources of management and mentorship. Dan and I currently sit on the boards of only 5 or 6 companies. In addition, we have successfully launched a few companies of our own, including PolyServe, which we recently sold to HP. The Roda Group launched Ask Jeeves, now Ask.com, which was sold to Barry Diller’s IAC and more recently, we were actively involved with SightSpeed, a voice and video IP conferencing on line service provider that we sold to Logitech late last year.

AR: In February, you were in Armenia at the launch of iCON Communications (www.icon.am), a new internet service provider in Yerevan. Can you tell us about your involvement with iCON?

RS: Several years ago, I was in Armenia with my good friend, Adam Kablanian. I told Adam of my vision to create inexpensive, reliable, and fast broadband Internet access in Yerevan, with the idea that if it we were successful, we could create the business model for providing this type of service to other developing countries or areas. Two years ago, we formed a small partnership and with Adam at the helm, launched iCON Communications. Our infrastructure is built upon a state-of-the-art network utilizing WiMax technology – which is more advanced than what is offered in the U.S. We successfully attracted additional investors from abroad, who enabled us to build the infrastructure in the Yerevan and then launch our service in Yerevan in February. Our customer base is growing rapidly. Customers can pay as little as 8,000 AMD or about $21 per month for unlimited, wireless Internet that is about five times faster than the dial up that is available on the market currently. Our wireless technology works well because it allows users with laptops to use the service in multiply locations using a small USB stick. We seem to have a prestige thing going at the moment with people demanding mobile, broadband Internet. We even have designed packages for visitors to Armenia to be able to purchase equipment and simply pay for the usage while they are in Armenia.

AR: : So do you consider iCON a successful business?

RS: Nope and Yup. We are not profitable yet. Our investors are investing in growth and in the future of the country’s need for more accessible and faster Internet access. And that is expensive – and let’s face it – a bit risky. However, we were able to enter the Armenian market as foreigners, work with the government to address a critical need that will help businesses, the government, and the population connect with the rest of the world. We have created are more than 50 professional jobs and have plans to increase that number to 80 by year’s end. And finally, we were able to have a dream, launch a high-tech company, and attract both foreign talent and foreign resources from well known industry leaders in the field of telecommunication to Armenia in only several years.

AR: iCON sounds like a business that would work in many different cities around the world. So why did you pick Armenia as a launch point? What is your connection to Armenia?

RS: My connection to Armenia started when I was 14 years old. My father, Karl Strauch, was the Chairman of the Physics Department at Harvard University and involved in collaborative scientific exchanges with the top laboratories in the Soviet Union. My father was working with Soviet scientists on accelerator technology and research in the late 60s and early 70s. In 1970, my father, at the invitation of the famous Armenian physists Artem and Alik Alikhanyan, brought our family to Armenia. As a teenager, I was impressed with the people with whom my father worked and became and remain friends with several of them, including, Tina Asatiani, a Georgian physicist and Academy member who spent the majority of her life working in Armenia and was one of the most honored female physists in the Soviet Union.

The Strauch family in 1970 during a visit to Armenia. Pictured at the table is Dr. Artem Alikhanian at the head. His wife Marina, my mother Maria, and two colleagues to his right. Roger Strauch (Age 14) and his brother Hans (Age 13) to his left.

When I was at Stanford working on my masters, I met and fell in love with Julie Kulhanjian, an Armenian-American girl from Detroit who was pre-med. She was impressed that I had been to Armenia! After Julie completed medical school in Michigan, we married. We have three teenage children, all of whom have been to Armenia multiple times and have worked on many Armenian-related projects. Our family is a member of St. Vartan’s Armenian Church in Oakland, Calif. In addition, we are active in the Armenian-American community in the Bay Area and nationally.

AR: What are some of the organizations you and your family support through your philanthropy?

RS: Julie and I believe it is important to set a strong example for not only our children, but for the community. We are involved with Cornell University and UC Berkeley, where I serve on engineering oversight committees, the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where I have served as president, and we helped establish the UC Berkeley Armenian Studies Program. In addition, Julie and I supported and played an active role producing San Francisco Opera’s performance of the Arshak II, eight years ago. We are life members of the Armenian Assembly of America and support many smaller and impressive Armenian organizations. In 2006, our family created the Paros Foundation (www.paros-foundation.org) and we became its organizational sponsor.

AR: What does the Paros Foundation do?

RS: The Paros Foundation works with six organizations in Armenia involving the arts, children and people with disabilities. Our executive director, Peter Abajian, and I have identified organizations that we feel serve as leaders in their respective fields. Our support comes in the form of organizational operating funds, office space and operational resources and mentoring. Our goal is help these modest size projects manage their growth and attract more financial, human, and physical resources to their respective causes. Furthermore, we have built a staff of travelling and in-country resources that other philanthropists or philanthropic institutions may choose to utilize to support their efforts to improve the quality of life and culture in Armenia.

AR: What organizations does the Paros Foundation work with in Armenia and how can people learn more about getting involved?

RS: We focus on improving the opportunities for at risk kids on the streets, economically disadvantaged kids, talented artists and disabled people to be effective contributors and to fully express themselves in a the country they all love so much. The programs we support currently are the Paros Chamber Choir (www.paros.am), Unison NGO (www.unison.am), Manana Youth Center (www.mananayouth.org), Ghoghanj Children’s Center (www.childrenscenter.am), the Vanadzor Music School #3 (www.vanadzormusic.org) and the Vanadzor Museum of Fine Arts (www.vanart.org).

People and organizations that are interested in implementing their projects via the Paros Foundation or donating can contact us through our website (www.paros-foundation.org) .

AR: Thank you Roger. We wish you continued success in your many endeavors.
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The Paros Chamber Choir Tours Artsakh

This October was remarkable in the rich history of the Paros Chamber Choir. The Choir, with support from the Ministry of Culture of Armenia, Ministry of Culture of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the Paros Foundation, held its first concert tour in Artsakh.

In Gandzasar, Paros was warmly welcomed by the local residents and the Priest. After a joint prayer, the choir performed several spiritual songs from its rich repertoire. The official part of the concert tour was started by a performance in St. Ghazanchetsots Church, Shoushi, where the choir performed a capella a dozen songs.

‘The mountains, green forests and our echoed songs at churches enriched our souls with beauty and joy,” says Raffi Mikaelean, Artistic Director and Condutor of Paros.

The final event of the tour was a concert at the Culture Palace in Stepanakert. This performance was also very successful. Although the Paros Concert lasted for almost two hours, the audience which included dozens of music fans, patients of the Lady Cox Rehabilitation Center, officials, and foreign guests, still demanded, “Encore, encore!”

“It is so important that the Ministry of Culture appreciates our choir,” says Armen Alaverdyan, Managing Director of Paros. “We were delighted to visit Artsakh and performed there. The choir members are looking forward to new opportunities to perform in this part of our Homeland.”

The Paros Chamber Choir performs for Daniel Pearl World Music Days

On 26 October 2009, the Paros Chamber Choir performed at the Naregatsi Art Institute in Yerevan as part of the Daniel Pearl World Music Days. The US Ambassador in Armenia, Marie L. Yovanovitch attended the event and offered her remarks. The program included songs by Komitas, E.Hovhannisian, T.Mansurian, H.Odabashian, K.Zakarian, I.Stravinsky, D.Bortnyansky, G.Faure, and L.Spevacek. The audience was truly inspired by the highly professional and emotional performance of Paros.

This concert organized by the U.S. Embassy in Armenia and the Naregatsi Art Institute was part of Daniel Pearl World Music Days, an annual global event affirming the ideals of tolerance, friendship and our shared humanity. World Music Days is inspired by the life and work of journalist and musician Daniel Pearl, who would have celebrated his birthday on October 10th. Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan in 2002.

Paros, the award-winning Armenian choir mostly consisting of disabled singers, joined people around the world in a tribute to all the visionary men and women who use the power of music to lift peoples of different backgrounds and beliefs above the differences that set us apart. Through their music, the Paros singers reaffirm their conviction that humanity will triumph and harmony will prevail.