Hagop Asadourian
AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone 212.319.6383 x.118
Fax 212.319.6507
Email agbuwb@agbu.org
http://www.agbu.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 17, 2005
AGBU ARARAT PUBLISHES SPECIAL ASADOURIAN ISSUE
New York, NY - Nearly a hundred people of all ages gathered at AGBU Central Office in New York on Thursday, January 27th, to celebrate the publication of an issue of AGBU's Ararat quarterly devoted entirely to the writings of author Hagop H. Asadourian (1903-2003).
Born in the village of Chomaklou in eastern Turkey, Hagop Asadourian was deported, along with the rest of his village, in 1918 but found refuge in AGBU's orphanage in Aleppo, Syria. He settled in the U.S. in 1920, where he became a successful businessman, singer, and author of poetry and fiction, including his novel, "The Grandchildren of Hovagim," which describes his childhood experiences. He was honored for this work by the Tekeyan Cultural Foundation in Lebanon in 1965 and 1984. On March 3, 2003 the Foundation celebrated his 100th birthday "in honor of his lifelong dedication to his beloved Armenian people through music and literature." The Spring 2004 issue of "Ararat" is the first extended excerpt from his work to be published in English translation.
Performers Lynne Kassabian, Marjorie Keyishian, Amy Keyishian, and Nora Armani, treated the audience to selections from Asadourian's writing while oud master and performer, Ara Dinkjian, played a personal composition in honor of the occasion. A number of speakers addressed aspects of Asadourian's writings, including Armenian Studies scholar Vartan Matiossian and Richard Asadourian, the author's son.
An official Hagop Asadourian website has been established by the Naregatsi Art Institute at http://www.asadourian.us. The site showcases selections of Asadourian's writings, music and life and offers various CDs and DVDs for sale to the public.
Ararat quarterly (www.agbu.org/ararat) is published by AGBU. Copies of the Asadourian issue or other back issues are available at $7 each. They may be ordered by e-mailing ararat@agbu.org, calling Hripsime at 212-319-6383, ext. 131, or mailing your request, along with a check, to ARARAT/AGBU, 55 East 59th Street, NY, NY 10022-1112. For more information about AGBU and its many cultural initiatives, please visit www.agbu.org.