Across centuries of triumph, displacement, and renewal, music has served as the beating heart of Armenian cultural identity. On Nara's TV Show, showcasing extraordinary vocalists, composers, instrumentalists, and international concert performers has always been central to our broadcast mission—connecting audiences in Glendale, Burbank, and Los Angeles with the timeless musical soul of the Armenian Highland.
The Four Pillars of Armenian Musical Heritage
To appreciate the musical performances featured across our television broadcasts and community galas, it helps to understand the four distinct yet interwoven streams that define Armenian music:
- Sacred Liturgical Chants (Sharakan) & Komitas Vardapet: Dating back to the fifth-century invention of the Armenian alphabet by Mesrop Mashtots and the modal systems codified by Nerses Shnorhali, Armenian sacred music reached its modern renaissance through Komitas Vardapet (Soghomon Soghomonian, 1869–1935). Travelling village by village across the Armenian plateau, Komitas transcribed over 3,000 folk songs—preserving agrarian work chants, wedding dances, and lullabies like Krunk (The Crane) and Chinar Es for eternity.
- The Soul of the Apricot-Wood Duduk (Tsiranapogh): Carved from aged Armenian apricot wood and fitted with a wide double reed, the duduk produces a warm, velvety, deeply human timbre recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Paired with a continuous drone (dam) played by a second duduk player, its melodies evoke the mist-covered peaks of Mount Ararat and the valleys of Lori.
- The Ashugh Troubadour Tradition: Embodied by the eighteenth-century poet-musician Sayat-Nova ("King of Songs"), the ashugh tradition blends lyric poetry, philosophical wisdom, and virtuosic accompaniment on the kamancha (bowed spike fiddle), tar, and kanun.
- Classical Conservatory & Diaspora Vocal Artistry: From Aram Khachaturian's symphonic ballets (Gayane and Spartacus) to powerhouse vocalists trained at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory—such as People's Artist Flora Martirosian and composer-pianist Araksia Varderessian—modern Armenian music bridges classical rigor with deeply emotional storytelling.
Musical Highlights Featured on Nara's TV Show
| Featured Artist / Tradition | Musical Genre & Instrumentation | Cultural & Broadcast Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Flora Martirosian (1957–2012) | Traditional Folk & Sacred Balladry (Dle Yaman) | Founder of the Artists for Peace charity movement and Komitas Musical Academy in Los Angeles |
| Araksia Varderessian | Classical Piano, Original Love Ballads & Children's Music | Komitas Conservatory & USC pianist; honored as "First Armenian Female Diva" (2007) |
| Sonji Kimmons & Global Jazz | Soulful Jazz, Blues & Cross-Cultural Peace Concerts | International vocal collaborations at the Alex Theatre and Gibson Amphitheatre |
| Mediterranean & Hellenic Live Shows | Authentic Greek Laïko & Live Orchestra (Giorgos Margaritis) | Celebrating shared Mediterranean musical kinship at Burbank community concert venues |
Preserving Living Musical Memory in the Diaspora
Every concert review, artist interview, and studio music video we preserve on Nara's TV Show is dedicated to keeping this vibrant heritage alive for younger generations born in the diaspora—ensuring that the melodies of Komitas, the poetry of Sayat-Nova, and the original compositions of contemporary Armenian artists continue to inspire the world.