Grikor Mirzaian Suni (1876-1939)

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Concert Programs

Armenian Music of Grikor Mirzaian Suni (1876-1939)

Armenian Congregational Church, Southfield, Michigan
Sponsored by Tekeyan Cultural Association and The Suni Project
Maro Partamian, mezzo-soprano; Rubik Mailian, lyric tenor; Armena Marderosian, pianist; Sevan Suni, violin; Anoush Suni, violin + oud, great granddaughters of the composer



A Jubilee Concert

 


Mezzo-soprano Maro Partamian (in purple), Violinists Anoush Tamar Suni (20, in red skirt) and Sevan Siranoush Suni (25, in white skirt), pianist Armena Marderosian (58, in red), performed 27 works of Armenian composer Grikor Mirzaian Suni (great grandfather of the violinists) on Saturday March 10, 2007 for the 7pm AGBU Armenian General Benevolent Union 100th anniversary concert sponsored by the AGBU Philadelphia chapter at Armenian Martyrs' Congregational Church, Havertown, Pennsylvania.


Armenian Language

One of our goals is to help people learn to read Armenian.

Armenian Alphabet

Armenian Alphabet Confusing Letters (PDF)

View Suni Project's Armenian Alphabet Transliteration System >> It is designed to show how to pronounce the sounds of the Armenian language. [To view a clearer version, download our 1997 CD Booklet in PDF format where you will find the transliteration system on pages 18 and 19]

About transliterations >>

The Suni Project has chosen a transliteration system to help the reader and singer pronounce the sounds of the Armenian language. However, we are providing, also, the Library of Congress 1983 transliteration system as a reference. View the Library of Congress 1983 transliteration system >>

Selected Glossary

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Georgian Alphabet

Georgian Alphabet (PDF) for comparison with Armenian alphabet.


Armenian Rug

Armenian Gendje

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Caucasian Armenian rug made in 1914 in Gendje, in Grikor Mirzaian Suni's home region. Remarkable for the colors, rhythm, design, and themes. This image can be found on page 25 of the catalogue, "Armenian Rugs: The Gregorian Collection", The University of Michigan, Rackham Galleries, February 4-18, 1983.

Armenian Rug Replica

Weaver, Dale Johnson of Santa Cruz, California, has woven a replica of the previously pictured Caucasian Armenian Gendje rug. The replica was completed as of November 2003! Dale Johnson is a retired professor of Chinese language and literature.

The Armenian inscription, shown in the below right image, says:

2003 year Armena Ron Siuni

Professor Johnson has woven this rug for Armena Marderosian and Ron Suny as a 2003 replica of the antique (1914) rug.

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Completed Gregorian Rug replica

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Armenian Art

Mount Ararat by Martiros Sarian

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Mount Ararat, also called by Armenians "Medz Massis" (Big Peak) and "Pokr Massis" (Little Peak), or "Massis", as seen from the east.

Painted by Martiros Saryan (born 1880), a contemporary of Grikor Mirzaian Suni..


Photos

A Jubilee Concert

 

"Grikor M. Suni: Musician and Man"

Grikor M. Suni: Yerzhshtagetu yev Mardu,1943, Philadelphia hardback red book in Armenian, 409 pages:
"Grikor M. Suni: Musician and Man" by Hagop Kouyoumjian, who was a musicology student of Suni.

Photos, Musical Scores, and Documents (PDF, 8MB) from the book (75 images in order).


Grikor Mirzayants-Suni Chorus - Shushi 1902 / 3 academic year (July)

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Photos from the archive of Gourgen (George) Suny and Arax (Kesdekian) Suny. 2006 Broomall, Pennsylvania

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Posters

Boston Concert - May 18, 1924, Jordan Hall

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Maps

Armenia and the Caucasus



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This map shows the location of Mount Aragats (Alagyaz, Alakyaz) northwest of the city of Yerevan, the title of a Suni song. It shows Mount Ararat, southwest of the city of Yerevan, also called Medz Massis (Big Peak) and Pokr Massis (Little Peak), or just Massis. "L" stands for Ler which means mountain, e.g. Ararat L., Aragats L. The Black Sea is at left. The Caspian Sea is at right. Lake Sevan is lower center. Lake Van is lower left. Lake Urmia is lower right.

The map can be found on page 6 of Haikakan SSR Atlas (Armenian SSR Atlas). Yerevan - Moscow, 1961.

Armenian map (1917-1921)



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This map shows Armenia in the period of the Russian Revolution, the independent Armenian republic, and the establishment of Soviet power (1917-1921). The Black Sea is upper left. Lake Sevan is on the right. Lake Van is lower middle. Lake Urmia is lower right.

The map can be found on page 108 of Haikakan SSR Atlas (Armenian SSR Atlas). Yerevan - Moscow, 1961.

Mountains of Bingyol and Sipan



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This English language map is an excerpt of map # 193 (The Villayets of Bitlis), on page 204 of Robert H. Hewsen's "Armenia: A Historical Atlas." University of Chicago Press. Chicago, 2001.

It shows the location of Bingyol Mountain (south of the city of Erzurum) and Mount Sipan (north of Lake Van), among the mountains mentioned in Suni's songs.

Armenia and the Middle East (1878-1914)

Many Armenian Americans have heard of the villages and towns their ancestors came from but don't know where they are. The immigrants would identify themselves by their place of origin. Societies were formed and still exist, such as the Armenians from Istanbul and from Van, even with their own journals. The Van journal is called Varak after the monastery near the city of Van and Lake Van.

In Armenian:

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In English:

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News Articles

The Biography of Grikor Suni

Printed in The Armenian Reporter International, Fresh Meadows, New York, November 28, 1998, pages 12-13.

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Video

Dancing Vanetsi's [a 2-minute video]

Armenian dancers from Van, Armenia filmed in 1946 in New York by Antranig Shahinian. Among the 8 dancers are Andy's dad Vagharshag and, the eldest, Levon Kazanjian.

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Viewing tip: You may need to download the free Quicktime player to view the video.

 

 

 

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