Sounds of Sevan: Delight in the acoustics of Armenia’s beloved lake

Seeking: an Armenian composer or DJ to compose a five-minute track using the sounds and recordings heard at, and around, Lake Sevan.

When Music of Armenia announced this oddly specific open call last June, they had an equally specific, but very innovative, idea in mind. They had just commissioned a group of musicians and visual artists from four countries, spanning three continents, to create a project, called Sounds of Sevan.

The artists were Tatev Yeghiazaryan from New York on vocals; Georgi Minasyan from Armenia on the duduk; and Mehdi Hesamizadeh from Iran, who was tasked with recording the natural sounds of Lake Sevan; Australian-Armenian composer Kaisha Hekimian won the open call and joined the group soon after.

The aim of their project was “to embrace tradition while laying new paths, as it portrays culture in dialogue with nature, at the same time generating awareness about art and the environment; and their impact on society as a whole."

Using Armenia’s storied Lake Sevan as the inspiration and launching ground, Sounds of Sevan creates a perfect harmony between art and nature, highlighting the importance of both.

Fast forward a year from that ad and they have just won the coveted “Best Music” Award at the London International Motion Pictures Awards. Soon, they will release a music video—shot at (guess where!) Lake Sevan—along with an audio-visual installation. In the meantime, check out the "Making of Sounds of Sevan" in the video section below. 

Until then, you can delight in the sonic experience that is the Sounds of Sevan!