Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 7:30 PM
The Wallis, Beverly Hills
John Hodian, COMPOSER & PIANO Hasmik Baghdasaryan, SOPRANO Tatevik Movsesyan, SOPRANO Shahane Zalyan, ALTO Tigran Hovhannisyan, DHOL Aram Nikoghosyan, OUD Andranik Gasparyan, DUDUK The **Naghash** **Ensemble** brings together the earthy spirituality of Armenian folk song, contemporary classical music, and post-minimalism with the driving energy of rock and jazz. Named after the medieval Armenian mystic poet and priest **Mkrtich** **Naghash**, the ensemble reimagines his sacred texts in a strikingly modern musical language. Three extraordinary female vocalists join Armenia’s finest instrumentalists on duduk, oud, dhol, and piano to create a sound described that is at once ancient and urgent – “part folk music, part classical, and profoundly moving. Unmistakably Armenian, but out of this world.” Written by Armenian-American composer **John** **Hodian**, _Songs_ _of_ _Exile_ is a profound meditation on humanity’s relationship to the divine, told through the voice of a monk cast into a long separation from his homeland. Experience music that bridges centuries with startling immediacy and spiritual force.