TCA Metro Los Angeles Celebrates Life of
Maestro Hampartzoum Berberian
Glendale, CA — On the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the Tekeyan Cultural Association (TCA) in the United States, the TCA Metro Los Angeles Chapter organized “An Evening Dedicated to Maestro Hampartzoum Berberian: Renowned Composer, Conductor and Educator” at the Armenian Society of Los Angeles on September 6, 2024. Maestro Berberian served as TCA’s first President in the United States in 1969.
Berberian, who passed away in Watertown, Massachusetts in 1999, is revered for his musical pedagogy and admired by generations of Armenians for composing and conducting a wide range of vocal, choral and operatic works, as well as symphonic and chamber pieces. Maestro Berberian’s legacy includes his beloved students from the Armenian Theological Seminary in Antelias, Lebanon and the AGBU Tarouhy Hagopian School for Girls, AGBU Hovagimian Manougian School for Boys and the AGBU Yervant Demirdjian Elementary School in Lebanon. Former students from all of the above schools were in attendance to pay tribute to their beloved teacher known as “Baron Berberian” in their youth.
Co-master of ceremonies Hasmig Karayan and Mihran Toumajan integrated numerous tributes to Berberian throughout the program. Among them were excerpts of a voice recording of an interview conducted in 1969 at the Baikar Building in Watertown, Massachusetts conducted by Varsenik Parseghian with Berberian. He noted that he was born in 1905 in Adana, the youngest of eight children. The family consisted of six boys and two girls. He became interested in music starting at the age of four.
A recent recording from Rev. Fr. Zaven Arzoumanian was also shared with the audience. Arzoumanian fondly recalled his days as a seminarian at the Armenian Theological Seminary in Antelias, Lebanon where he was taught nationalist songs and music notation by Berberian. He recalled a conversation he had with his classmate, the late musicologist Krikor Pidedjian of New York. Pidedjian felt that only Gomidas Vartabed ranked ahead of Berberian as an Armenian musicologist.
The concert brought back to life the music of Berberian with songs some of which have not been heard by his students since their childhood in Lebanon. Well known soprano Anahit Nersisyan, accompanied by the pianist Ripsime Rshtouni, performed Berberian’s well known “Anor”[“To Her” – text by Tlgadintzi] and “G’Antsreveh Dughas,” [It’s Raining My Son – text by Vahan Tekeyan] among others. Also featured was the violinist Angela Amirian, who performed Berberian’s “Prelude and Variations,” also accompanied by pianist Rshtouni. Tenor Berj Karazian sang Berberian’s “Ser” [Love – text by Zareh Melkonian], among others, accompanied by Rshtouni on piano.
Dikran Ekizian, a lifelong member of the Tekeyan Cultural Association, spoke on behalf of the former students of Berberian.
Parsegh Kartalian, also a lifelong leader of the Tekeyan Cultural Association, cut the cake in honor of the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Tekeyan Cultural Association in the United States. Kartalian sang in a choral group organized by Berberian in Egypt.
The program concluded with Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate, Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, commending the life and works of Maestro Berberian and recalling his first meeting Berberian in Boston. He also praised the musicians who performed Berberian’s works.
