Glendale Nayirian Choir Reflects Armenian Culture in Song and Dance

· January 14, 2026

Choir’s Annual Concert celebrates musical heritage.

By Karine Armen

Local news pasadena

Catinca Tabacaru, Lisette Garcia Trepaud standing in front of a crowd posing for the camera — Nayirian Choir, conducted by Lusine Meliksetyan rehearses the ‘Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia.’ Photo: Facebook.

Hamazkayin Western Regional, an Armenian non-profit cultural organization, will present the Nayirian Choir’s annual concert on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., at the Presbyterian Church, Glendale. The event will reflect Hamazkayin’s continued commitment to preserving and promoting Armenian cultural heritage through music, dance, and the performing arts.

Conductor Lusine Meliksetyan is the choir’s artistic director, whose extensive background in choral music has played a central role in the ensemble’s artistic development.

Meliksetyan said, “The choir members sing in different languages, including Italian, Latin, Armenian, and French.” She added, “We invite professional musicians for the annual concert.”

Born in Yerevan, Armenia, Meliksetyan began her musical education at a young age and later graduated from the Yerevan State Conservatory in 2000 with a degree in choral music under the guidance of Maestro Tigran Hekikyan. During her conservatory years, she was a member of the Komitas Choir and later served as its choirmaster. She moved to the United States in 2005 and has been serving as a music theory instructor and choirmaster at the International School of Music in Glendale since 2007.

A group of people standing in front of a instrument — (L-R) Flutist Salpy Kerkonian, percussionist Artashes Sinanyan, pianist Ripsime Rshtuni, music director Lusine Meliksetyan, and bassist Jay Rubottom at the January 11 rehearsal. Photo: Karine Armen.

Founded in 2019, the Nayirian Choir continues to build its repertoire through weekly rehearsals focused on developing musical skills such as breathing, pitch, rhythm, and music reading, while also fostering creativity, expression, and a positive learning environment. The choir successfully overcame the challenges of the pandemic by continuing rehearsals online.

The upcoming concert will feature collaborations with several distinguished professional musicians, including Maestro Mikayel Avetisyan, who is the current Artistic Director and Conductor of the Glendale Philharmonic Orchestra. Also featured are pianist Ripsime Rshtuni, flutist Salpy Kerkonian, percussionist Artashes Sinanyan, bassist Jay Rubottom, and vocalist Edgar Khachatryan.

One of the highlights of the evening will be a dance performance by choreographer Shushan Khachatryan, who will appear with her daughter Ani. Their performance, set to Khachatur Avetisyan’s composition Husher, will portray a poignant story of life through music and movement.

Hamazkayin Western USA is part of the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, a global non-profit organization founded in 1928, with active community presence in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Armenia.