Michigan composer commemorates Armenian genocide milestone

Michigan composer commemorates Armenian genocide milestone –

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (AP) – A Detroit-area composer known for his commercial work has taken on a musical project of a more personal, historic nature.

Dan Yessian’s “An Armenian Trilogy,” a piece commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, publicly premieres Thursday at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in Clinton Township. The work is written for violin and piano but Yessian plans to score it for orchestra.

Yessian heard about the 1915 genocide from his grandparents. An Armenian church priest asked him to compose a piece to reflect on it.

He says in a news release he welcomed the challenge of “retelling the story of my ancestors … through music.”

His Farmington Hills-based company, Yessian Music Inc., creates music for TV commercials and promos, film trailers and theme parks.

The Associated Press