Chapter 10: France: My Dream of Becoming a Contemporary Classical Composer Advocating for The Armenian Genocide

I am a contemporary classical composer. I am presently working on my third symphony, Black Lives Matter in four movements and will, therefore, compose my personal and professional history in four movement narratives. The first movement narrative addresses my family members who were victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, forced on a death march through the desert. My second movement narrative takes place in Paris surviving the German occupation and bombing attacks of World War II with horrifying memories. My third movement narrative speaks to my immigration to Argentina in 1948 where, as a little boy, I sold stockings, sewing needles, and threads at the street market. There, I learned about classical music which was the critical time in my life when I knew that music was my calling. My fourth movement narrative begins with my immigration to the United States and my life-long dream of becoming a composer. My compositions incorporate the global mindedness of music reflected in the inner desires and longings of diverse groups as well as global issues that are permeating the world. My proudest work is Time of Silence (Boyadjian, 1986), a 1-hour oratorio on the Armenian Genocide referred to as “Esse Aeternam,” accompanied by my poem. My story can only be understood in the context of the Armenian Genocide.