[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22303]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



           HONORING THE NATIONAL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OF ARMENIA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 22, 1999

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the National 
Chamber Orchestra of Armenia (NCOA) for their performances around the 
world and genuine cultural representation of their country.
  The NCOA consists of 25 of the most accomplished instrumentalists in 
the young republic under the baton of Artistic Director and Principal 
Conductor Aram Gharabekian. They have been honored with great success 
in the past, such as representing Armenia in 1997 at the Cultural 
Capital of Europe Festival in Thessaloniki, Greece. And in December 
1998, the orchestra released a compact disk through PolyGram/Germany 
presenting a synthesis of ancient and contemporary works of Armenian 
composers. At home, the NCOA performs every third week at the Komitas 
Chamber Music Hall in Yerevan. In addition, the orchestra performs 
around the globe and has toured Europe, South America, and the United 
States.
  Conductor Gharabekian was born in the Old World in 1955 and moved to 
the United States as a youth. He received his Master's Degree in Music 
Composition from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and 
engaged in postgraduate studies at Mainz University in Germany. Maestro 
Gharabekian's numerous honors include the Lucien Wulsin Performance 
Award for the best concert aired on National Public Radio; the American 
Society of Composers' Award for adventuresome programming; the Harvard 
Music Association's ``Best Performance Award,'' and the Boston Globe's 
``Best of the Year'' designation.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to honor the achievements of the 
National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, for being one of the leading 
instrumental groups of the Republic of Armenia and sharing such 
beautiful cultural music across the world. It is Principal Conductor 
Aram Gharabekian's exceptional leadership and devotion that has 
warranted this recognition, and has lead to the success of the 
orchestra. I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing the National 
Chamber Orchestra of Armenia and Conductor Gharabekian many more years 
of continued success.

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