Armenian Liturgical Chant: Historic Elements for the Future

CMRS Distinguished Visiting Scholar Lecture

The perpetuation of Armenian liturgical chant was ensured over the centuries by a subtle relationship between the written and the oral transmission. The vulnerability of both brings up essential questions: what were the characteristics of the notation systems and of the oral transmission system which kept this singing tradition alive? How did this work especially among the cantor groups in cities and towns? Being at the same time an “insider” and a researcher on this subject, Aram Kerovpyan proposes to learn from the past not only for historical or philological purposes, but also to reinforce by academic means the renewal of teaching techniques of Armenian modal chant in contemporary conditions.

Dr Kerovpyan is Director of the Armenian Liturgical Chant Ensemble, Akn, and the Centre for Armenian Modal Chant Studies of Paris. He is a master-singer of the Armenian Cathedral of Paris, Saint John the Baptist, and a member of the Armenian music ensemble, Kotchnak. His PhD is in musicology from the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris.

Funding for CMRS Distinguished Visiting Scholars is provided by the Humanities Division of the UCLA College of Letters and Sciences, and the Armand Hammer Endowment for the UCLA Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. Co-sponsored by the UCLA Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures.