The Ethno Colors folk music ensemble will be performing in Glendale this September in a special tribute show to the work of Armenian composer Komitas Vardapet.
The show will celebrate the 157th birthday of Vardapet, who was noted both for his own competitions and his work to preserve Armenian folk music as an ethnomusicologist. The Ethno Colors ensemble will play his work and other folk classics as a ten-piece band using guitar, trumpet, drums, and other authentic historical instruments and vocals.
The group aims to use revised arrangements to make the historic songs approachable for a modern audience. The Yerevan-based band was formed in 2007 by pianist Arthur Harutyunyan and has performed historic songs both in Armenia and internationally. Concert groups like this often use poster printing and social media to help advertise shows.
The concert is presented by the Armenian Arts organization and aims to appeal to the large Armenian American community in Glendale and the larger Los Angeles metro area, as well as anyone curious about cultural diversity and music history. The Executive Director of Armenian Arts, Stepan Partamian, said that:
"Komitas devoted his life to collecting and preserving the soul of Armenian music. There's no better way to honor his 157th birthday than with a performance by Ethno Colors."
The Ethno Colors band’s tribute to Vardapet will take place at the Alex Theatre in Glendale on September 26.
