So now it is officially official.

John Berberian will be performing with us at our next concert, in Greenville, SC at Centre Stage.

I still can’t believe this is actually true.  John Berberian, world renowned oud player… here…  performing together again.

The first time I performed with John was in Boston.  When I first spoke to him on the phone in preparation for that show, I was immediately struck by his genuine, thoughtful, humble manner.  We instantly connected.  Once in Boston, he and his gracious wife invited me and my husband to their home where we spent hours talking about life, music, being Armenian, and our shared faith.  It was a day I will never forget.

And then, being on stage with John was like a dream.  Here was this man, this talented musician, whose music I had listened to growing up, how he breathed new life into those timeless Armenian folk songs, and here I was on stage with him…  I had to work hard to stay focused!   And then a year later, we had the joy of performing together again in Montreal – what an amazing concert that was!

And now, a couple of years later, here we are.  It’s happening again…  and I am in awe of the whole process.  The entire journey.  All. of. it.

From the very start of my journey into professional music, I have had the privilege, the utter joy of performing with some of the best musicians in Canada and in the US.  The best.  And each musician has not only been extremely talented in their art, but also, to make life even more beautiful, each one has been wonderful to work with…they have become friends:  kind hearted people that I look forward to seeing again and again.

Thank you, God.

Tags: Armenian folk music, Canada, Friends, John Berberian, journey, music, Oud, performing, US