Speaker: Gerald Papasian, Manoogian Visiting Fellow and Artist in Residence

This lecture will focus on Armenian classical operas and on saving these works from oblivion. Gerald Papasian will discuss the necessity of presenting these works of Art and their ignored authors on the international stage, so that they are not only performed by Armenians, but are also staged by non-Armenian producers. He will also talk about the financial and psychological difficulties, as well as past achievements and failures, such as the recent experience with London’s staging of Tchouhadjian’s Gariné, or the Michigan Opera Theatre’s second Anoush production in 2001, 20 years after the first performance. As an English critic wrote in the Opera Magazine, “This Anoush should not have to wait another 20 years or for another big anniversary to be seen again.