Zartong were a quartet of Armenian musicians who moved to France and released a self-titled debut album before promptly vanishing in the late 70's, and a fascinating and unpredictable prog curio it turned out to be! A mostly instrumental work that jumps in all sorts of directions, prominent spacey synth-driven symphonic prog moments suddenly give way to plentiful folk interludes and Turkish flavoured diversions, electronic ambience, Zeuhl weirdness, jazz-fusion fire and poppier vocal breaks (not to mention some dreaded yet unsurprising light disco elements due to the era it arrived in!). The album has a distinctive and very unique sound due to two of the musicians playing a santour (an Iranian instrument similar to a zither) and a kamancha, a type of oriental violin.

In February 2004, Arto Tuncboyaciyan recorded his new solo-project "Artostan" in Yerevan – a selection of songs from his solo performances - a radiophonic travel diary through Arto’s unlimited soundscapes and his philosophical homeland.

A wonderful concert version of the revered Komitas Divine Liturgy! Here the great Komitas work is transformed into a concert mass in the first-ever recording of this appealing mixed choir version. This version was beautifully arranged and edited by the brilliant Armenian composer Vache Sharafyan. In his arrangement, the added colors of female voices increase the beauty of the work. This version is also concert length, which means that it is appropriately shorter and more accessible than the original.

The trio of Nor Dar comes from Armenia. Right from their first album "Opus of the Lizard" (winner of the Armenian Music Awards 1998) the group showed the desire to give a broader experimental spirit of the legacy of Komitas, the father of Armenian music. The success surely comes from the unquestionable ability of the group's members at the time of using traditional instruments. And combined with the classical education and the general preoccupation with jazz, it led to a more complex musical alloy, which is obviously intended to pass the traditional and classical music of their country to a wider audience, opening new avenues of evolution.

Harvest Festival is a genuinely comprehensive and thorough look at the one British major label venture into psychedelia and progressive rock that actually worked, commercially and artistically; it's a panoramic journey though a major part of British rock as it developed over a period of just under a decade. Over the five CDs and 119 songs, more than two dozen acts are featured, ranging from purely English phenomena like Michael Chapman, Quatermass, and Pete Brown to mega-arena acts like Pink Floyd, and the set comes complete with a built-in 120-page book that would be worth 35 dollars by itself.

The 64th Eurovision Song Contest will take place at the Expo Tel Aviv (International Convention Center). The first Semi-Final will be held on Tuesday, 14th of May, the second Semi-Final on Thursday, 16th of May and the Grand Final will take place on Saturday, 18th of May..

As a professional singer, Hasmik Baghdasaryan, the soloist of the vocal ensemble Luys, appreciates the way the members of the Armenian quintet work together. The musicians’ cooperation within the ensemble is very harmonious and cheerful but at the same time on a high professional level. When on tour, Luys presents two very exclusive pieces of music “Banin Hor“ and “Ibr Zard“: The first piece was specially written for Hasmik Baghdasaryan, while the other one has been composed by her good friend, the well-known Armenian composer and artist Vahan Artsruni. He gave Luys the exclusive right to sing this song, which is a great honor to the artists. Besides her work with Luys, Hasmik Baghdasaryan has recorded many albums with modern composers, as for example with the Greek composer Alkis Baltas; with Vahan Artsruni she has recorded music comprising the music era of more than 500 years; and she has transferred the music of Mesrop Mashtots into the modern music age….

As a professional singer, Hasmik Baghdasaryan, the soloist of the vocal ensemble Luys, appreciates the way the members of the Armenian quintet work together. The musicians’ cooperation within the ensemble is very harmonious and cheerful but at the same time on a high professional level. When on tour, Luys presents two very exclusive pieces of music “Banin Hor“ and “Ibr Zard“: The first piece was specially written for Hasmik Baghdasaryan, while the other one has been composed by her good friend, the well-known Armenian composer and artist Vahan Artsruni. He gave Luys the exclusive right to sing this song, which is a great honor to the artists. Besides her work with Luys, Hasmik Baghdasaryan has recorded many albums with modern composers, as for example with the Greek composer Alkis Baltas; with Vahan Artsruni she has recorded music comprising the music era of more than 500 years; and she has transferred the music of Mesrop Mashtots into the modern music age….

As a professional singer, Hasmik Baghdasaryan, the soloist of the vocal ensemble Luys, appreciates the way the members of the Armenian quintet work together. The musicians’ cooperation within the ensemble is very harmonious and cheerful but at the same time on a high professional level. When on tour, Luys presents two very exclusive pieces of music “Banin Hor“ and “Ibr Zard“: The first piece was specially written for Hasmik Baghdasaryan, while the other one has been composed by her good friend, the well-known Armenian composer and artist Vahan Artsruni. He gave Luys the exclusive right to sing this song, which is a great honor to the artists. Besides her work with Luys, Hasmik Baghdasaryan has recorded many albums with modern composers, as for example with the Greek composer Alkis Baltas; with Vahan Artsruni she has recorded music comprising the music era of more than 500 years; and she has transferred the music of Mesrop Mashtots into the modern music age….

The original soundtrack to Steven Soderbergh's striking drug war drama Traffic features Cliff Martinez's sparse, evocative score, classical pieces, and electronica, resulting in a collection of music that's nearly as complex and diverse as the film it accompanies. Martinez, who has scored virtually all of Soderbergh's films (except Erin Brockovich), proves once again why they work together so often: the score's atmospheric drones and understated rhythms build a restrained, implosive tension far better than blaring orchestral pieces. Like the film itself, Martinez' pieces aren't obvious. They don't tell the listener what to feel; they just set the scene and let the audience fill in the blanks. And though big beat songs like Fatboy Slim's "Give the Po' Man a Break" and Kruder & Dorfmeister's remix of Rockers Hi-Fi's "Going Under" could be too much of a contrast with Martinez' airy compositions, the album is deftly sequenced, allowing for the highs and lows of the score and songs like Morcheeba's "On the Road Again," Wilhelm Kempff's "Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor," and Brian Eno's "An Ending (Ascent)." Though it sounds even better in conjunction with the film, Traffic is still one of 2000's best soundtracks.

Ruben Hakhverdyan (Armenian: Ռուբեն Հախվերդյան) is a popular Armenian poet, guitarist, singer, songwriter, and lyricist. Hakhverdyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia in 1950. He attended Yerevan's theater institute and in 1975, earned his degree in television and theater direction. He worked for the city's State Television Network.

Hakhverdyan's songs are extremely popular in Armenia. They include the song "Navak" (Boat), which is his most famous children's song. Other popular songs include "Mer Siro Ashune" (The Autumn of Our Love) which is one of Armenia's best known romantic songs. Three songs that Hakhverdyan himself says have influenced him most and have been his all-time favorites are Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles, Amsterdam by Jacques Brel and It's a Man's World by James Brown.. (wiki).

Isabel Bayrakdarian is a certified classical music diva today, an excellent Mozartian, Handelian, songs and lieder recitalist and overall a very bright star in the current line-up of young sopranos. And this is how she started her recorded career- with a disc of Armenian liturgical music…