THE BAVARIAN MINISTER OF CULTURE HONORS THE ARMENIAN SINGER

On November 20 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, in the imperial hall of the royal residence the State Minister of Science, Scientific Research and Arts Dr. Wolfgang Heubisch handed the Bavarian award of encouraging arts to the gifted Armenian singer Harchuhi Bassenz for achieving significant success in her field.

Along with Hrachuhi 15 other figures received the Bavarian highest award for their outstanding accomplishments in fine arts, performing arts, music, dance as well as literature. The honor of opening the ceremony was given to our compatriot who made the “Je veux Vivre” aria from the opera “Romeo et Juliette”.
Her accompaniment pianist Greta Erharter-Sargsyan is also an Armenian who works in Germany and Austria.

At the rewarding ceremony the Armenian singer was accompanied with the President of the German-Armenians Central Council and the Union of the Armenian Academics Azat Ordukhanyan , the President of the Armenian Community in Nuremberg Dr. Margaret Assoian-Link, the President of the ``Armenia`` charitable organization in Erlangen Georg Walcher (Hayastan e.V. Erlangen, Verein der Freundinnen und Freunde, Foerderinnen und Foerderer Armeniens), the coordinater of the department of ``Help to Armenians`` at the charitable organization ``St. Georg`` in the city of Hoechstadt an der Aisch Dr. Margarete Walcher, the President of the organization of the Kitz-Kulturkreis in Kitsbuehe, Austria Johann Erharter, the Regional Chairman of the ``German Tax Office`` Open Joint Stock Company Oustapasadis Charalampos (Deutsches Finanzkontor AG, Oustapasidis Charalampos).

On the occasion Mr. Ordukhanyan made a speech congratulating Hrachuhi and noting, Hrachuhi's talent and patriotism are memorable and exemplary. Due to such people we are restoring the Armenians lost image of a nation of science and culture and are not perceived only as deprived of homeland, genocide suffered migrants from a poor country in the eyes of foreigners. Our intellectuals’ daily successes ensure and make notable Armenians' constantly growing role in the development of the European science and culture.

Hrachuhi Khumaryan who has taken the name Hrachuhi Bassenz in memory of her native Province Bassen, Western Armenia, was born in Armenia, graduated from the solo vocal class of Gayane Geghamyan at the Yerevan State Conservatory after Komitas with honor, took part in the concert tours of the symphonic orchestra “Kohar’’ founded by the Khachatryan brothers in Gyumri, Armenia. Hrachuhi's concert tours have a wide geography. She has given concerts in Russia, Cyprus, Poland, Turkey, Northern Korea, Austria and the USA. In 2006 she was invited to Germany to work at the theatre of Gelsenkirchen and only six months later received the annual highest award of the theatre as well as the award ”The symphaty of the audience”.

Since moving to Germany she has actively been participating in the cultural events of the Armenian community beautifying the concert stages of the Union of Armenian Academics. Along with her husband baritone Gor Harutynyan she participated in the jubilee concert-project dedicated to the one hundred and sixty anniversary of the eminent Armenian scientist professor Andreas Arzruni.

After moving to Nuernberg she involved herself in the cultural evenings organized by the local Armenian organizations and communities. At the invitation of the German -Armenians’ Central Council participated in the commemoration events the Genocide victims.
Especially unprecedented was her concert at the Europe's largest outdoor festival taking place in Nuremberg. On July 24, 2011 tens of thousands of attendees had a unique opportunity to hear 3 Armenian songs: Aleksandr Harutyunyan's ``Song for me``, Aleksandr Dolukhanyan's ``Swallow`` and Arno Babajanyan’s ``Vokalize`` from that stage.

Devotion to art is typical of many Armenian families and regardless of generation or settlement changes art keeps its key role in their lives. Khumaryan – Bassenz family is such one, too. Harachuhis's younger brother studies at John Cranko Ballet Academy in Stuttgart (John Cranko Ballettakademie Stuttgart). Her mother, Amalia Babloyan, is the head of the <> cultural center. It is worth mentioning that even during her three months visit to Germany she managed to fascinate the German audience with her unique national dance. On April 4, 2008 she took part in the celebration event dedicated to the 2790th anniversary of the establishment of Yerevan and the newspaper Grevenbroicher Zeitung wrote about it with deep admiration (NEUSS: GREVENBROICHER ZEITUNG, RHEINISCHE POST, Nr. 81, Jg. 135, 7.04.2008).

Being a representative of such a family Hrachuhi, along with her husband , singer at the State Theatre in Nuremberg Gor Harutyunyan, not only develops her talent inherited from the elder generation but also transfers it to her son, to little Harutyun, ensuring the continuation of the family tradition. The seven-year old Harutyun has already played episodic roles at the Nuremberg Opera.

Surely the exceptional Armenian soprano performer of Mozart’s Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Mayerber`s Selika (L`Africaine), Donitsetti’s Eleonora (II Furioso nell’Isola di San Domingo), Bellini`s Zaire (Zaira), Bizet’s Mikaela (Carmen), Verdi's Gyulnara (II Corsaro), Leonkavallo’s Nedda (Pagliacci), Puchini’s Chio-Chio-San (Madam Butterfly), Rossini’s Korina (II viaggio a Reims) will still be awarded new prizes and will play new roles becoming a unique symbol of Armenian-German friendship.

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