Armenian Folk Ensemble

The internationally recognized Shoghaken Armenian Folk Ensemble will perform in concert Monday, April 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Satellite Student Union as part of its U.S. tour of 18 cities.

The Ensemble was founded in 1991 by dudukist Gevorg Dabaghyan in Yerevan . The group uses only traditional Armenian instruments, maintaining an authentic sound with the duduk, zurna, dhol, kanon, kamancha, shvi and other instruments.

Singers Hasmik Harutyunyan and Aleksan Harutyunyan are known throughout Armenia , the former Soviet Union and Europe for their unique interpretation of Armenian folk and ashoughagan (troubadour) music.

With an extraordinary ancient tradition of exhilarating folk dances, haunting love songs and lullabies, Shoghaken has mesmerized audiences far beyond the Caucasus mountains , where Armenians have lived for centuries.

The Shoghaken Folk Ensemble was also invited to the United States by world-renowned cellist, Yo Yo Ma, to perform at the 2002 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington , D.C.

In July 2003, three members of the group traveled to Estonia to participate in the Viljandi Folk Festival in Viljandi, Estonia . Vocalist Hasmik Harutyunyan was accompanied by musicians Levon Tevanyan and Karine Hovhannisyan in two well-attended concerts.

Ticket are: $20 per person and $12 for Fresno State students For ticket information call the Armenian Studies Program at 278-2669.