Inspiring Community Grant Spotlight

Supported by UBC’s Inspiring Community Grant , doctoral music students Tamar and Geoff presented Longing for the Homeland: A Concert Featuring Musical Compositions from Armenian Diasporic Composers – an event designed to highlight Armenian cultural history and bring community members together through music.

The concert featured a program of Armenian art songs written by composers whose lives and work were shaped by the Armenian Genocide. Many of the pieces are rarely performed and remain largely unknown in Canada. Tamar, whose doctoral research focuses on Armenian music and cultural symbolism, explained, “I wanted this repertoire to finally be brought into the spotlight. These songs reflect the experiences of the Armenian diaspora, and I hoped both Armenian and non-Armenian audience members could connect with those stories.”

 

First Performance on a Familiar Stage

Although both performers have extensive professional experience as opera singers, this was their first time presenting a concert on the Roy Barnett Recital Hall stage, despite attending countless performances there as students.

“To perform on that stage with a project we organized ourselves felt significant,” Geoff shared. “We’ve admired the musicians who perform there for years, so stepping into that space with our own work was exciting.”

 

Reviving Rare Music Through Research and Collaboration

Preparing the concert involved substantial background research. Much of the music came from anthologies compiled by a musicologist in Montreal. Author Hasmig Injejikian created an anthology titled Vocal Art of Armenian Composers, preserving works that may not exist anywhere else. Many songs had no recordings, and some were assembled from surviving fragments of manuscripts after the genocide. Some songs were created by layering music over Armenian poems and turning them into singable pieces.

In creating the program booklet, Tamar and Geoff manually typed most of the Armenian text themselves, using international keyboards, references from the anthologies, and language tutoring. “We wanted the program to include the original Armenian and an accurate poetic English translation,” Tamar said. “That required us to fully understand each poem so we could communicate it authentically.”

The couple also collaborated closely with their pianist, Richard Epp, who brought his own research and musical insight to the project. “We were really fortunate to work with him,” Geoff noted. “He was deeply engaged with the repertoire and helped shape the storytelling.”

 

A Community-Centred Audience Experience

The space quickly filled with Armenian community members, friends, faculty from the School of Music, and other students. For many Armenian attendees, the concert resonated deeply. Some recognized the poems immediately and joined in singing during the final pieces. “That was a very special moment,” Tamar said. “People connected to the songs in a personal way.”

While admission to the event was free, the community generously came together afterwards to donate to the Armenian Relief Society and raised over $1,500 for the Armenian Relief Society to support an orphanage, a birthing centre, and educational programs.

Looking Ahead

Following the overwhelmingly positive response, Tamar and Geoff received many requests for future performances. They hope to continue the project as an ongoing concert series, expanding into Armenian operatic repertoire and making the music accessible to a broader audience.

“There is so much more Armenian music that deserves to be performed,” Geoff said. “This project has encouraged us to keep researching, sharing, and finding ways to bring it to the stage.”

Reflecting on the experience, Tamar added, “The Inspiring Community Grant made it possible for us to do this now – not years down the line. It allowed us to share Armenian culture, connect with the community, and create something meaningful at UBC.”

 

Watch the Performances

Tamar’s performance: https://youtu.be/0tyWahoZ7x8?si=F6CXaB49957vT5ZT

Geoff’s performance: https://youtu.be/jn9yOpl_0qw

 

If you have an idea for sharing your culture and talent with the community, apply for your own Inspiring Community Grant to bring your idea to life!

 

Interview and story written by: Polina Cherdantseva, Community Event Programmer