A cellist and composer with “tremendous heart … joy and captivating sound” (The Strad), Karen Ouzounian regularly collaborates with the Silkroad Ensemble, among other singular musicians. Co-created with Lembit Beecher, Ouzounian's chamber-music project, Mayrig (“mother” in Armenian), lifts three generations of family voices in songs and stories from their post-genocide home and weaves them around historic Armenian music and new compositions on resilience, rage, and roots. In this catalyzed edition, Mayrig features deeper chamber music with oud, viola, and bass alongside cello, piano, and electronics, plus an immersive, new physical dimension including hand-drawn illustrations integrated with the performance.
Additional collaborators for this performance include Ara Dinkjian, oud; Shawn Conley, bass; Maiya Papach, viola; and Charles Berberian, visual artist.
