Soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian concluded her North American tour Celebrating Gomidas last night in Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall in New York. The tour, sponsored by the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, featured works from her Nonesuch debut, Gomidas Songs, and was dedicated to victims of genocide both in her homeland and throughout the world.

The New York Times's Meline Toumani previewed last night's show with an article on the history of this national composer of Armenia and examines his impact both in his home country and throughout the world. Toumani calls Bayrakdarian's Nonesuch release and the ensuing tour "what may be the best shot Gomidas has had to shine for the Western classical music world" since the composer himself gave a series of concerts across Europe in the early 20th century. Read the article at nytimes.com.

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Prior to the Zankel show, Bayrakdarian, with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, led by Anne Manson, along with her husband Serouj Kradjian on piano and Hampic Djabourian on duduk, performed at Boston's Jordan Hall on Sunday.

Boston Globe correspondent Joel Brown suggests to his readers to "make sure you get a ticket to hear soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian the next time she comes to town, no matter what's on the program." This time, it was the music of Gomidas Vartabed, and, says Brown, those familiar with it were "noticeably moved" and "even those unfamiliar with Gomidas's work found plenty to savor in Bayrakdarian's ravishing performance. The program of many short songs allowed—or required—her to reach heights of pathos one moment and sing almost playfully the next." The evening's "most emotional moments," he exclaims, "achieved a riveting purity."

Read the complete concert review at boston.com.