On Sunday, October 17, St. Illuminator’s hosted a special charity concert called “Change Lives, Change the World” to benefit needy Armenian families in Artsakh and Lebanon through the Armenian Prelacy and NYU breast cancer research.
The idea for the concert originated with Anahit Indzhigulyan, 17, and her friend Benjamin Zaslavsky, 15. Anahit, a soprano, is a well-known member of the St. Illuminator’s family and one of our community’s rising talents.
The concert featured a program of 18 short vocal and instrumental pieces, mostly classical, beautifully performed by seven talented musicians, all in their teens. Nearly 100 people attended, including the families and friends of the musicians and parishioners and friends of St. Illuminator’s.
Anahit performed three songs, and was joined as a vocalist on Sunday by her cousin, Angelika Indzhigulyan, age 12, and two other friends, Eliana Kusher and Elena Ghaleb, both 17, who each delivered exceptional vocal performances of their own.
A highlight was daring performances on the piano by Ben Zaslavsky and Anthony Ginzburg, age 16, who also performed on the saxophone, and violinist Maya Litmanovich, age 15, joined with beautifully played pieces.
Nareh Aseyan served with poise as the master of ceremonies. The singers were accompanied by their teacher, Maestro Vagharshak Ohanyan, on the piano, while Nataliya Khrapina, teacher of piano to Anahit, Ben and Anthony, accompanied Ben and Anthony when they performed on the saxophone, and Maria Dubinsky accompanied her daughter, Maya.
The program closed with remarks by Rev. Fr. Mesrob Lakissian, Pastor, and Armen Morian, chairman of the Board of Trustees. The concert was followed by a reception in Pashalian Hall.
By the end of the special evening, the concert had raised nearly $13,000. In the days since, that number has risen to $15,.000. The fundraiser will remain open until October 31. Those interested in making a donation may do so by clicking the link here. All proceeds of the fundraising will be divided evenly between the relief for Armenian families and breast cancer research.