By MCMA Committee Member, Rosine Krikor Seraydarian
After months of detailed preparation, the day we were eagerly waiting for had finally arrived! It was Saturday, March 29, 2025, and the MCMA Exclusive Talent Competition was indeed underway in Northridge, California.
Since its inception in 2017, the focus of MCMA has always been to discover, encourage, and promote young talents within the Armenian Diaspora—a mission which has always been the core vision of founder Nora Roumian Bairamian, who is also the current pianist and conductor of the Meghety Ladies Chamber Choir, an integral part of MCMA (Meghety Choir Members and Artists), previously known as AACA (American Armenian Circle of Artists).
March 29 was an unforgettable afternoon showcasing selected young Armenian performers taking the stage in a unique competition event organized by MCMA. A total of 19 carefully selected finalists were ready to demonstrate their musical and artistic talents live on stage in front of four professional judges. These finalists were selected from interested Armenian contestants from various educational institutions, including Vahan & Anoush Chamlian Armenian School, Holy Martyrs Ferrahian Armenian School, Armenian Mesrobian School, AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School, Rose & Alex Pilibos Armenian School, and Lark Musical Society.
Our emcee, Arick Gevorkian, started the event with his opening remarks and a brief description of MCMA. He proudly introduced Nora Roumian Bairamian by welcoming her on stage, after which the Meghety Chamber Choir Ladies joined her to sing the Meghety Anthem a cappella—a tradition observed prior to any MCMA-hosted event.
The audience listened carefully with anticipation and eagerness to see their family members take the stage with their selected method of performance. Performances varied and included singing, dancing, reciting, and playing a musical instrument, all with the aim to impress our judges and qualify for a monetary award.
Once all the finalists—whom MCMA considered winners since they were selected to be present at this unique event—completed their individual performances, the judges, who consisted of Garineh Avakian, Ph.D., Petros Boyadzhyan, Shushana Hakobyan, and Maral Varjabedian, rendered their decision, and the following finalists were chosen as the winners in our two age categories. MCMA would like to reiterate its gratitude to our four named judges, who voluntarily dedicated their valuable time and immensely helped our non-profit organization achieve its goal and fulfill its mission of promoting young artists.
Winners of our 11–14 years old category were:
- Emmanual Emil Kazaz, Jr., 14 years old from Wilson Middle School, who attends Lark Musical Society. 1st Prize Winner. Awarded a $2,000.00 monetary award for his performance of Dance of Sassoun by Alexander Arutiunian on piano.
- Alex Garibekian, 13 years old from Vahan & Anoush Chamlian Armenian School. Tied as a 2nd Prize Winner. Awarded $1,000.00 for his performance of Czardas by Vittorio Monti on piano.
- David Goossens, 14 years old from Birmingham High School. Tied as a 2nd Prize Winner. Awarded $1,000.00 for his performance of Waltz from Masquerade Suite by Aram Khachaturian.
- Lia Stepanian, 13 years old from Vahan & Anoush Chamlian Armenian School. 3rd Prize Winner for her recitation of Shushi by Gurgen Stepanian.
Winners of our 15–18 years old category were:
- Alicia Keoshgerian, 16 years old from Mesrobian Armenian School. 1st Prize Winner. Awarded $2,000.00 for her performance of Sirelis by Armen Mandakunian – Kanon improvised by Tsovinar Hovhannisyan on kanon.
- Zareh Achekian, 16 years old from Rose & Alex Pilibos Armenian School. 2nd Prize Winner. Awarded $1,000.00 for his performance of Ballade No. 4, Op. 52 by Frédéric Chopin on piano.
- Lim Kalemkarian, 17 years old from Mesrobian Armenian School, who attends Lark Musical Society. 3rd Prize Winner. Awarded $500.00 for her performance of Prelude No. 7, D-flat Major by Eduard Abramian on piano.
MCMA would like to take this opportunity to publicly congratulate the seven named winners of our Exclusive Talent Competition once again. A one-of-a-kind event, it demonstrated that we Armenians have massive talent in our young generation—and it is critically important they are encouraged and recognized properly so they may thrive.
This event was not just live performances on stage, but a magical experience with breathtaking musical and artistic displays, elevating MCMA’s core mission of promoting our Armenian artists. MCMA wishes to continue this competition event every other year, with great hope of discovering new talent each and every time.
You may view the talented performances of all our winners on our Facebook Page. To stay up to date and informed about our future events, be sure to follow us on our social media platforms and help our circle grow.
