MAYRIG

Performers Karen Ouzounian (cello and voice) and Lembit Beecher (piano and electronics)

Introduction

“Mayrig” (Armenian for “mother”) is an engaging and intimate, 60-minute concert centred on the human voice, created by Karen Ouzounian and Lembit Beecher for cello with electronics, piano and voice. The voices of cellist Karen Ouzounian’s mother and grandmother intertwine with original arrangements of Armenian music from their family’s former home in Anatolia, songs and stories from their post-genocide home in Lebanon, and music by the beloved Charles Aznavour.

The programme features new works by Lembit Beecher, Layale Chaker, Nathalie Joachim and Niloufar Nourbakhsh, exploring the themes of passing on intergenerational heritage, roots and rootlessness. Their music pulses with passion and celebration, resilience and anger.

The concert programme opens and closes with Marin Marais’ “Les Voix Humaines” — music from centuries ago that creates a window onto the present day.

Through details of family history, “Mayrig” creates an engaging world of memory and connections while offering the audience a universal, shared experience. According to the musicians, it provides an opportunity to reflect on the layers of meaning and history contained in music, and on the winding paths that have brought us all to this time and place.

Karen Ouzounian is an acclaimed cellist and composer whose work is deeply rooted in personal stories and experiences. Her performances have been praised for their emotional intensity and captivating sound, and she has appeared as a soloist in many of the world’s renowned concert halls, including the Konzerthaus Berlin and Carnegie Hall. Ouzounian has collaborated with several distinguished musicians, including Rhiannon Giddens and Kayhan Kalhor, and is a member of the Silkroad Ensemble. For many years, she also performed with the Aizuri Quartet, with which she received a Grammy nomination and several chamber music awards.

Lembit Beecher is an Estonian-American composer, pianist and animator whose music is characterised by a poetic and personal approach to memory, history and human stories. His works often combine interviews, historical texts and personal testimonies, creating deeply affecting musical narratives. Beecher’s music has been performed both on chamber music stages and in opera houses; among his best-known works is the Alzheimer’s-themed opera “Sky on Swings”. He has received several prestigious awards and residencies and is among the internationally acclaimed composers of contemporary music.

Price information

Tickets 30€/20€/70€. The supporter ticket (70€) includes a reserved seat in the middle rows of the hall and a guided tour of the building before the concert. The guide will meet you at the information desk at 16:00.

Transfer Tallinn–Arvo Pärt Centre–Tallinn, 20€

Book a transfer from Tallinn to Laulasmaa. The vehicle departs Tallinn at 15:45 from the car park next to Solaris (Teatri väljak 1) and stops at 16:00 at the Haabersti Cirkle K car park (Paldiski mnt 106)*, arriving at the Arvo Pärt Centre 25 minutes before the event begins. The return journey starts from the centre’s car park 15 minutes after the event ends and takes you to the original meeting point. The round-trip fare is 20€ per person. Sales end 24 hours before the event begins. The service is provided by PremiumTaxi.

*Another departure point may be arranged by writing to info@arvopart.ee.

Tickets are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged.