Biography
Ara Topouzian, a player of the kanun, has overseen multiple releases showcasing traditional Armenian music through American Recording Productions, his own imprint centered on Armenian and Middle Eastern sounds. Detroit, Michigan, marks his birthplace, though he later settled in Atlantic City. There, schooltime saw him handling the cornet, while Armenian ensembles drew his def performances beyond classroom hours. College brought a growing emphasis on Middle Eastern repertoire, prompting him to master the dumbeg alongside the kanun under the guidance of skilled practitioners throughout the 1980s. American Recording Productions came into existence in 1992 as Topouzian's venture to safeguard Armenian and Middle Eastern musical traditions. A commission arrived three years afterward from the Armenian Relief Society of the Red Cross, tasking him with an album whose proceeds would support a prenatal clinic amid the ruins left by Armenia's earthquake. For the Children of Armenia emerged as that project, generating funds channeled to the clinic under the memory of his deceased mother. Throughout the following ten years, numerous additional recordings of Armenian and Middle Eastern traditions appeared under his direction, among them the double-disc Live From Detroit that highlighted Leon Janikian's clarinet contributions. Clarinetists of various stripes have joined him often, as have oudists such as Dick Barsamian and Joe Zeytoonian. The year 2000 brought inclusion of his compositions in the PBS production The Armenian Americans.
Albums