The commemorative events concluded Sunday evening with a concert at the monument of the Armenian Genocide Martyrs compound in Bikfaya, led by Maestro Harout Fazlian, the artistic director and principal conductor of the Beirut Symphony Orchestra; soprano Hasmik Papyan and bass Barsegh Tumanyan were the feature singers.
The concert was held under auspices of His Holiness Aram I and presided over by the sponsor of the construction of the monuments, Aleco and Ani Bezikian and family, and was attended by the patriarchs and spiritual heads and ecumenical guests from abroad, along with a large number of the members of the local community.
The programme included compositions by Aram Khatchadourian and other Armenian composers. The juxtaposition of the beautiful music and the Genocide monuments bore witness to the spirit and ability of the Armenian people to survive genocide, and out of the ashes of that genocide to create transcendent art.
The performance received a standing ovation, after which His Holiness concluded the evening by thanking Harout Fazlian, Hasmik Papyan, Barsegh Tumanyan and the members of the orchestra for communicating to the guests so successfully the emotions and aspirations of all Armenians.
Catholicos Aram I then invited Aleco and Ani Bezikian and their family to the podium, introduced and thanked them for sponsoring the Bikfaya Memorial Compound next to the statue symbolising the Renaissance of the Armenian people (built in 1965), the creation of the “Aram Bezikian” Orphans Museum in Byblos and the renovation of St. Martyrs Chapel in Antelias.
He then decorated their son Zareh Bezikian with the insignia of “Cilician Knight” and informed the audience that a few years ago he had already decorated Aleco and Ani Bezikians with the insigna “Prince of Cilicia.” He thanked the members of the Board of Trustees of the Church for overseeing the construction and renovation of all the projects, decorated architects Vahé Kalendjian and Vazken Tchekidjian with the insignia “St. Mesrob Mashdotz” and mentioned that he had already decorated Trustee architect Hagop Atechian in 1999 and Hagop Shamelian in 2006.
http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/en/archives/13245
