Under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America and Mexico, the “Zvartnots” Cultural Committee of the Western Diocese organized a memorable concert on November 10, 2019 featuring Grammy nominated and world-renowned soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian.

The sold-out concert, in commemoration of Komitas Vartabed’s 150^th birth anniversary, was held in the sanctuary of St. Leon Armenian Cathedral and was the sequential event in the year-long celebration of the 10^th anniversary of the consecration of St. Leon (Srbots Ghevontiants) Armenian Cathedral.

The concert featured works by the legendary Komitas Vartabed, Armenian composer, ethnomusicologist, researcher and  conductor. Isabel Bayrakdarian’s awe-inspiring performance was enriched through the supporting cast of guest musicians from UC Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and Fresno, with Anna Hamre conducting the Fresno Coro Vox Aeterna.

The concert commenced with the welcoming message by Dr. Simon Simonian, Chair of the “Zvartnots” Cultural Committee who highlighted the committee’s dedication to preserving the Armenian identity through culturally enriching events.

At the conclusion of the concert, Archbishop Derderian congratulated Isabel Bayrakdarian and her friends for their outstanding performances and for allowing the enthralled audience to once again relive the musical genius of Komitas Vartabed.