Yerevan Voices, an all women choir, was established in 1994 by the conductor and musicologist Hasmik Vardanyan. The choir drew inspiration from its “predecessor” – Yerevan Chamber Choir, established in 1976 by the talented conductor Arthur Veranyan. Unfortunately, in 1992 after 15 years of brilliant endeavors, the choir dissolved due to Arthur Veranyan’s emigration to the United States. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that not only the members of the choir but also the Armenian musical heritage experienced a tremendous loss. Being the only women’s choir in Armenia, and in many ways the sole performer of invaluable repertoire, the choir was an idiosyncrasy with its unique significance. Hasmik Vardanyan, a leading soprano in Veranyan’s choir, along with the rest of the members, could not settle with the idea that this heritage was lost. For two years, they would gather unofficially and hold practices. Finally, in 1994 the members united in their decision to formally reestablish the choir, and by all means, preserve its unique musical heritage. The choir members unequivocally voted Hasmik Vardanyan as their new maestra. The position as the new conductor and artistic director was impelling for Hasmik Vardanyan. Having her educational background in musicology, Vardanyan went back to Yerevan Conservatory to study the art of conducting from renowned conductor Hovhannes Chekijyan. She presented the choir at her final exam with a performance that ended in standing ovations on the part of her teachers. But the choir had other challenges; Vardanyan inherited it at a time when the country was in shambles. Unlike the olden times, when the choir functioned under the aegis of Ministry of Education enjoying the sponsorship and almost unlimited funding from government, the post-Soviet cultural life was all about struggle. After the collapse of Soviets, Armenia was the most ravaged among all the republics. It was the epicenter of misery in many ways; the war, blockade, and earthquake plunged the country in darkness of electric outings, hunger and cold. In the midst of this despair, in times when people were getting 8.8 ounces daily ratio of bread, a group of women were gathering to sing in a room, where temperatures hovered close to freezing. They were singing to feel alive…They were singing their songs of catharsis. Despite the hardships, the music prevailed; The Yerevan Voices was revived. Vardanyan preserved the core traditions, repertoire, and performing techniques of her predecessor Arthur Veranyan. However, with her unique background in both, musicology and conducting, as well as her feminine spirit, she brought her own interpretation and schema to the choir. As many critiques have stated, she took the choir to another plane. Today the choir is a member of the biggest choral organization of the world – Europa Cantat. The Yerevan Voices has reached a distinct recognition both in motherland and abroad, the highlight of which being the 1997 International Music Festival in France, Briev, where it won the prize for the Best Performance. Since then, the choir has been in busy concert schedule, dazzling the listeners and keeping the women’s voices alive.

Through our tireless endeavors, we aim to preserve the Armenian Spiritual and Folk music that dates back to 5th century AD. We strive to perform and thus present this unique cultural heritage to a wider audience.

We perform rarely heard music for women’s voices, nurture newly emerging composers, and employ experimental undertakings.

Diversity is the trademark of Yerevan Voices – from Western classical, to Armenian Folk, Spiritual and Secular music, to Modern minimalism – our spectrum of variation of genre is incredibly wide.

But whether we are exploiting the pure, a capella Scandinavian song, a piece of Baroque in its full glory, or the intricate harmony of the Armenian Medieval Music, the quest is the same – to evoke the sublime in the listener….

Yerevan Voices is keen on nuances – aching suspensions and bone-trembling volume then resolve in the pianissimo of whisper. It is this dynamics that ravishes the listener’s senses.

The choir is all about the homogeneous choral sound. The ultimate goal is to bring out the flawless, ethereal and impeccable women’s voices that blend together to create the immaculate chant.

I don’t sing but I hope my hands do…

“I really would like to express my admiration about the musical class of this choir; during those 10 days in France, they gave performances that were of exceptionally high quality. The 10 singers of the group are simply brilliant! And whatever their repertoire is, the director Hasmik Vardanyan knows how to lead them to perfection. Thank you Armenia for allowing them to be ours at least for a short time!”

“Thank you for the momentum of music, for the purity, and the feeling… Excellent work, exceptional voices, profound talent! Undeniably, this is a superb choir!!!”

MICHEL DYUMA, ART CRITIQUE, FRANCE 1997

“A very different approach – transparency of voices, astonishing vocal nuances, mesmerizing and enchanting… A work of Art!”

“The evening started off quite mysteriously and ended with an exceptionally beautiful piece called “Enchantment.” We had an opportunity to hear a choir of extraordinary quality, which captivated the large audience of the festival. Bravo to all the members and congratulations to the choir master!

“I have never heard a choir this enchanting….I’m happy that I heard the “voices of Armenia.”

They are ten young women, the ambassadors of their faraway-land Armenia, participating with their choir from Yerevan in the Brive’s Orchestada, directed by the master hands of Hasmik Vardanyan. A perfect harmony is created with each performance; the vast range of diapason, and repertoire that encompasses a very large spectrum – from the Western European Bach, Brahms, and Strauss, to the Eastern masters of Komitas and Shnorhali – it is this spectrum that enables them to ascertain their mastery of technique.

And thus, during that evening in Brive, they traced the trajectory of the entire history of music – from Renaissance, to nowadays, singing even “Negro Spirituals” – frankly, quite far from their own culture. The women of Armenia in their “pink dresses” astounded the audience, singing for one and a half hour without a break, and with an incredible small group of 10! Meanwhile, the audience was calling them back to stage over and over….

Donate

Yerevan Voices aims to inspire younger generation and tap their pulses through the music. We have community outreach programs to perform free at community events, art venues, and children’s events.

Aside from the random venues we have two distinct community outreach programs:

Music for Hope is a program to visit orphanages and bring the gift of music to those, who are otherwise deprived of the exposure to art and music.

The other program is called 101 Churches; Yerevan Voices travels around various regions of Armenia and performs in churches that are less known, or in need for renovation.

Through our concerts of spiritual music we aim to raise awareness about the needs of these sacred sites.

We are committed to using our unique women’s voices to evoke love of music and bring about positive social change.