Stepan Partamian
A passion for cultural excellence
A passion for cultural excellenceIn an effort to compile information on Armenian recordings worldwide, Partamian launched Garni in 1991. Concentrating on high-quality, authentic Armenian CD releases, Garni eventually gathered more than 300 titles through its Glendale retail outlet and mail order catalogues. Soon after starting Garni, Partamian began producing and releasing significant works by Armenian artists.
In 1994 Partamian originated the Dodi and Vaco children’s educational series, in collaboration with local musician Vaco. Based on the lovable children’s character Dodi, created by Partamian, the edutainment video series incorporated an original script by Partamian and Vaco’s compositions and performances, capturing the imagination of children throughout the Diaspora.
Partamian was the initiator and artistic director of 1998’s Uniquely Armenian, an extraordinary concert that introduced Los Angeles audiences to the multifaceted heritage of Armenian music. Organized by the AGBU Young Professionals Association, the concert brought together traditional musicians as well as folk, pop, jazz, and fusion artists. The show received the most extensive publicity and press coverage ever given to an Armenian cultural event, in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, the Glendale News Press, and on KCRW and KPFK
.
In 1999, collaborating with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, Partamian produced the first-ever Armenian music segment for the KCRW World Festival’s summer concert, Hallelujah. The 25-minute concert received critical acclaim from the Los Angeles Times and Daily Variety
.
In 2001, collaborating with the J. Paul Getty Museum, Partamian produced Armenia Unbound: A Musical Journey, which opened the fall Gordon Getty series complementing the museum's illuminated manuscripts exhibition, The Armenian Gospels of Gladzor.
In 2005 the Armenian Arts Fund released a new recording of Komitas Vardapet’s Divine Liturgy. This unprecedented instrumental rendition of the epic work was performed in its entirety by the duduk quartet Winds of Passion, itself a Partamian endeavor. The project was realized mainly through grassroots donations.
Partamian’s most ambitious project to date was realized on July 29, 2007, when he produced Spirit of Armenia, the KCRW World Festival concert commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. The first-of-its-kind event was attended by close to 13,000 spectators.
Most recently, Partamian was the entertainment producer of the 2007 Armenia Fund Telethon — the most successful fund-raising effort since the inception of the Telethon.
© 2008 Armenian Arts Fund, Inc. P. O. Box 287, Glendale, California 91209
