Famous Armenian percussionist Arto Tunçboyaciyan gave a concert in Venice in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, according to News.am, the Italian regional newspaper NordEst Quotidiano reports. The concert was part of Jazz im Pro-Armenia 1915-2015 program, organized by the Center of Studies and Documentation of the Armenian Culture in Venice, as well as the art association Circolo Caligola.

The organizer and author of the concert program Armenian Dream was the Friulian (one of Italian minorities) pianist and composer Claudio Cojaniz. The concert was held at the theatre of the Venice Palazzo Grassi.

The article reads, in part:

“Besides his orchestra, the pianist was accompanied by the Roman violinist Alexander Balanescu, as well as percussionist Arto Tunçboyaciyan, a Turkey-born Armenian and U.S. citizen (he has been living in the States since 1981). Tunçboyaciyan plays a drum set with sticks and hands, as well as a [Turkish] string instrument chumbush.

The works of Cojaniz and improvisations of Balanescu and Arto, who is also gifted with good voice, were played during the concert. He performs Armenian songs and is [also] able to sing touching melodies absolutely freely, relying on the instinct of a singer.

Arto differentiates between the love and respect to the public, and thus seeks to put the truth of the music above nationality. He became a unique hero of the evening, showing his vision of the ultimately possible global co-existence of people.

Two more concerts will be held in the framework of Jazz Im Pro-Armenia in October and November.”