{July 14th, 2013} Music from the Armenian Diaspora
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The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Information is very pleased to announce an evening of music from the Armenian diaspora performed on the oud by John Bilezikjian.
John Bilezikjian is one of our country’s most esteemed and versatile oudists. He has been performing his large and varied repertoire -- which includes folk songs in 11 languages -- for over 50 years. He has given a command performance for King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain, performed as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and accompanied Leonard Cohen.
The oud is an ancient Persian stringed instrument dating back 2,500 years. It has a teardrop shaped body, no frets, and is played with an eagle's quill. The oud is said to have been invented by the sixth grandson of Adam, the first man. According to folklore, this grandson, a father himself, fashioned the instrument to resemble his dead son’s skeleton.