Palace concert for ARS centenary

The largest circulation Armenian e-magazine Circulates every Thursday Established in 1999

UNPRECEDENTED EVENING OF CLASSICAL MUSIC ORGANISED BY THE CYPRUS "SOSSE" CHAPTER OF THE ARMENIAN RELIEF SOCIETY (HOM) ON THE OCCASON OF THE ARS CENTENARY

ARS Cyprus Sosse Chapter press release - Friday, 17th September 2010 - Within the festivities of the Armenian Relief Society Centenary and organised by the Cyprus Sosse Chapter of ARS, on Friday, 17th September 2010, an evening of classical music took place in the open-air amphitheatre of the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, Cyprus, with the participation of distinguished artists Haroutune Bedelian and his wife Lorna Griffitt, under the auspices of the First Lady of the Cyprus Republic, Mrs. Elsie Christofias. The evening began at 7.30 pm with a reception in the gardens of the Presidential Palace, where the attendants, while having a drink, had the chance to meet each other, exchange a few words and spend a few pleasant moments before the official concert began. At 8.15 pm the audience had already taken their seats, ready to enjoy the musical program being offered. Present at the concert were Mrs. Elsie Christofias, ambassadors and high-ranking officials, the Armenian Reverend Fathers of Nicosia and Larnaca, the Armenian Representative in Parliament Vartkes Mahdessian and his wife, ARS member, Maggie Mahdessian, ARS Central Committee member Vera Tavitian, the presidents and members of the Armenian Church of Cyprus Diocesan Council and Committee, as well as of affiliated organisations, ARS members, friends and a large number of attendants, amongst which were many patrons of classical music. Master of Ceremony Louise Aynedjian invited Mrs. Christofias who in her speech, referred to the major role of ARS, from the difficult days of its founding until today, promising always to support ARS projects. At the end of her speech, the President of the Cyprus Sosse Chapter of ARS, Vart Mahdessian, after thanking her, on behalf of the Chapter handed a souvenir gift to the First Lady, as a token of appreciation for her generous support, by which the Presidential Palace was provided to ARS for free, for the purposes of this event. On behalf of the Chapter, President Vart Mahdessian then welcomed the members of the audience and duly conveyed the message of the day, thanking all those who spared no effort for the successful organisation of the evening. The President conveyed special thanks to the Christofi Group, which had sponsored the musical evening organised by the Chapter, with a generous financial contribution and invited the owner of the group, Lambros Christofi, and handed him a souvenir gift. The Greek version of the President’s speech was delivered by Louise Aynedjian.

from left to right: First Lady Elsi Christofia, Vart Mahdessian, Lambros Christofi and Louise Aynedjian

At that point, amidst the cheerful applause of the audience, talented and much-loved musicians, Armenian Cypriot violinist Haroutune Bedelian and pianist Lorna Griffitt, who were specially invited from the United States for the occasion, entered the stage and with a flawless performance that lasted one and a half hours, impressed the audience. The program included works of Armenian and other musicians, such as Frietz Kreisler, Cesar Franck, Manuel De Falla, Brahms, Aram Khachaturian and Gomidas. In the mild autumn evening and under the sky full of stars, the audience really enjoyed this high-calibre musical concert. At the end, the applauses continued uninterrupted, with an expectation of securing another piece, to which the musicians responded positively, receiving the appreciation and applause of the audience.

from right to left: Lambros Christofi, Kevork and Vart Mahdessian, First Lady Elsi Christofia, MP & Mrs. Vartkes and Maggie Mahdessian, Vera and Arto Tavitian

The committee of the Cyprus Chapter of ARS welcomes with great pride, the exceptional success of this evening. Thanks to the relentless efforts of the committee and members, it had been possible to secure the presence, not only of the First Lady, but to gather a music-loving audience of 250 persons, in a week that was congested with many other activities. And most important, through this musical evening, an opportunity was created, to further promote the Armenian Relief Society to non-Armenians, a priority goal we have always had. Our Committee feels the need to extend special thanks to the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation, for undertaking the media sponsorship of the concert, to the local English and Greek-speaking newspapers, which gave space to the announcements for the concert and as always, to all the members and friends of ARS, and to all those, who with their presence, honored this second ARS centenary event. With this great evening, the centenary events organised by the Sosse Cyprus ARS Chapter come to an end. We end our communique by wishing well to all the members of ARS and to have a victorious journey towards future centenaries.

Images of the reception, party and dinner at www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2082229&id=1543460178&l=6402bbc84b

If this newsletter has no unsubscribe link, or the link does not work. please report it and it will be dealt immediately.
Include this code in your report LATROBA123 (GIBRZINE25987).