Research & Publication

However cherished, Armenian music is largely unknown in America outside the confines of the Diaspora community and ethnomusicological specialists. To assist in heightening and spreading awareness of the rich products of this tradition, the Lark Musical Society actively sponsors and encourages research and publication of Armenian music and musicological treatises.

As the one department of Lark that deals almost exclusively with questions relating to the Armenian heritage, the Research and Publishing wing is keen to promote three types of inquiry:

1. Illuminating the lives and work of formidable Armenian musical figures. It is important, for the benefit of academia, to make available as many monographs as possible of those influential Armenians who have contributed to Armenian folk music as well as the evolution of the modern classical genre.

2. Bringing into the public domain the full body of inherited music from the Armenian tradition, and putting into publication collections of new works by Armenian composers. The aim to bring our treasures into the general consciousness can be achieved most successfully by making these works available for performance by musicians everywhere as well as in the creation of recordings made accessible for listening to music lovers. Furthermore, it is essential that music and academic tracts be translated into the English language where necessary, ensuring a wider reach.

3. Uncovering and examining issues of music that are little explored or remain unsolved and confined to historical speculation. This enables us to draw out of the shadows such works as that of Tchouhadjian, or the full body of Komitas’s transcriptions and finally address mysteries such as that of Armenian neumes. Not only is this beneficial for the sake of posterity, but also enables future scholars to take the research to new levels.

To further these ends, Lark has created a program of amassing materials and creating a library/museum, in hopes of providing a center for Armenian cultural research and inquiry.