ENGLEWOOD, N.J. — After Detroit, Toronto, Los Angeles and Fresno, the Tekeyan Cultural Association (TCA) made New York in its turn reverberate with the words of a pair of newly published volumes dedicated to the writings of Vahan Tekeyan — Vahan Tekeyan: Selected Poems, translated into English by Gerald Papasian and his uncle, John Papasian, and the Armenian-language Vahan Tekeyan: Panasdeghdzutiunneru hadendir, edited by Edmond Azadian.
The presentation took place on Friday, October 31, at the New Jersey TCA Center, where admirers of Tekeyan the poet filled the hall. The program was at a professional level suited to the audience which itself appeared to have serious literary interests. The director, actor and translator Gerard Papasian had specially come from Paris for the occasion, while literary critic Edmond Azadian and artist Nora Ipekian Azadian came from Detroit.
After the words of welcome from the chairman of the New York TCA executive, Hagop Vartivarian, the artistic portion of the program began with the performance by one of the best interpreters of classical music, soprano Anahit Zakaryan, accompanied on the piano with composer Hampartzoum Berberian’s music, of Tekeyan’s poems G’antzreve, dghas [It Is Raining, My Son] and Ser me kaghdni [A Secret Love].
Zarmine Boghosian, educator and writer, served as the master of ceremonies. Thanks to her efforts, the program went smoothly.