MAYRIG

An immersive and intimate program centered on the human voice, Mayrig (“mother” in Armenian) is a 60-minute show created by Karen Ouzounian and Lembit Beecher for cello with electronics, piano and vocals. The voices of Karen’s mother and grandmother are interwoven with original arrangements of Armenian music of her family’s past home of Anatolia, songs and stories drawn from their post-genocide home of Lebanon, and the beloved music of Charles Aznavour. New compositions by Lembit, Layale Chaker, Nathalie Joachim and Niloufar Nourbakhsh expand upon themes of generational transmission, rootedness and uprootedness, with music teeming with passion and celebration, resilience and rage. Opening and closing the program is Marin Marais’s Les Voix Humaines, music from hundreds of years ago providing a window into the present. Through the specifics of family history Mayrig creates an absorbing world of memory and association, leading the audience to an experience that is universal and shared, allowing space to consider the layers of meaning and history contained within music, and the twisting paths that have led us all to this time and place.

Karen Ouzounian is an acclaimed cellist and composer whose work is rooted in deeply personal stories and experiences. Praised for her expressive performances and captivating sound, she has appeared as a soloist in leading concert halls including the Berlin Konzerthaus and Carnegie Hall. Ouzounian has collaborated with renowned artists such as Rhiannon Giddens and Kayhan Kalhor, performs with the Silkroad Ensemble, and was a longtime member of the Aizuri Quartet, earning a Grammy nomination and major chamber music awards.

Lembit Beecher is an Estonian-American composer, pianist, and animator known for creating poetic and deeply personal music inspired by memory, history, and storytelling. His works often incorporate interviews, historical texts, and personal testimonies, blending contemporary composition with narrative elements. Beecher’s music has been performed in both chamber and operatic settings, including his acclaimed opera “Sky on Swings,” which explores Alzheimer’s disease and human relationships. He has received numerous prestigious awards and residencies and is widely recognized as an important voice in contemporary music.