YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS. Despite being young, duduk player Arsen Petrosyan has managed to introduce the Armenian duduk to the whole world, performing Armenian folk and traditional songs that move both Armenians and foreigners.

To preserve and popularize the Armenian cultural heritage, the musician recently released the album "Hokin Janapar" (My Soul’s Journey), which includes 11 pieces from different eras of the Armenian cultural heritage.

In an interview to ARMENPRESS, Arsen Petrosyan noted that "HokinJanapar" is his second solo album, which was created as a result of extensive work.

The musician received the album offer after his debut solo concert in London in 2019. “The idea of releasing an album was proposed by the prestigious British company ARC Music, which was very inspiring. We can say that it shows the success of the concert. We started the works in the summer of 2020. The CD includes works from the 18th century to the present day: Baghdasar Dpir, Tigran Mansuryan… These compositions emphasize the multi-genre content and peculiarities of Armenian music. We have recorded Armenian troubadour, spiritual, folk, and other music”, Petrosyan says.

The recording of the CD was made in Armenia. The process coincided with the 44-day-war in Artsakh, because of which both Arsen and the musicians accompanying him were very depressed, but spent hours in the studio trying to finish the work. The album was released in London.

"We realize that when a CD is released, it stays in history, preserves our cultural heritage, making it accessible not only to us but to the world. These factors make you more alert, you must pay attention to every detail”, the duduk player confesses.

Petrosyan thinks that the duduk has a beautiful voice and sound; naturally, it is often performed without any accompaniment, but other musical instruments, such as the second duduk, percussion, dhol, kanun, santur, and harp, make the sound of the duduk more beautiful.

Referring to the success of the album, the musician noted that it is already in the spotlight of the international media. The presentation of the album was held on the Spanish National Radio and received a great response. It was the leader in the number of downloads in April. The album was presented on various European radio stations, the musician made it public through interviews. Both websites and newspapers regularly cover the album, and the album has been in the top 20 on Transglobal World Music Chart for two months. The best specialists from different countries vote on that platform.

According to Arsen Petrosyan, the main goal of art is to present the state, nation, culture, and the duduk is the voice of Armenia. Petrosyan is happy and excited to be able to contribute to that.

The duduk player noted that he inherited his love for the instrument from his grandmother's father, who was a duduk master. “Folk music has always been loved and respected in my family. When my parents noticed that I was not indifferent to music, they took me to music school. At the age of six, I learned to play the shvi, then the duduk. It is a difficult path, but I have consciously chosen this path. I was 14 when I performed at a concert and then toured the United States and Canada. I was very excited to be back. At that time, it was already clear that it is a difficult path that I want to pass”, Arsen noted. He added that he is not broken by disappointments, he works hard, tries to look ahead; for that purpose, he will have a tour in France, Italy, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic in July. He may perform in Armenia, the audience of which he considers very demanding.

Arsen Petrosyan was born in 1994 in Charentsavan. Arsen is actively involved in international activities, following the advice of duduk master Jivan Gasparyan and his teacher Gevorg Dabaghyan. The musician has paved the way through various collaborations, working with legendary rock guitarist Steve Hackett (Genesis), Emirati composer Ihab Darwish, and oudist Omar Bashir among others.

Arsen Petrosyan has performed in Europe, North America, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Caucasus. Notable media appearances include those on Medici.tv, Mezzo TV, BR-KLASSIK, as well as BBC Persia among others.

Arsen Petrosyan's first solo album “Charentsavan: Music for Duduk” was published in 2015 in the USA and was a great success.

Interview by Angela Hambardzumyan