On Thursday, February 4, the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) featured a special program centered around the Armenian duduk in the Museum's third floor Contemporary Art Gallery.


More than 140 people came to see ALMA Research Fellow Dr. Jonathan McCollum's presentation called "Armenian Duduk and the Impact of Cultural Policy from Soviet Times to Present Day" and hear a traditional duduk performance by master musicians Martin Haroutunian, David Gevorkian and Doug James.

ALMA Chairman Haig Der Manuelian gave warm opening remarks before ALMA Curator Gary Lind-Sinanian introduced McCollum and his presentation on "Armenian Duduk and the Impact of Cultural Policy from Soviet Times to Present Day."

McCollum talked about the duduk's ancient origins in Armenia, design (an aerophone traditionally made of apricot wood), and significance in Armenian culture. 

"The duduk is a reflection of the motherland and a symbol of Armenian heritage," says McCollum. This traditional folk instrument is frequently performed at Armenian weddings, funerals and anniversaries. McCollum explained over the years the duduk has gained popularity in Western culture and has been adopted into new genres.

Today the soulful sounds of the Armenian duduk are featured in dozens of Hollywood blockbusters, such as "Gladiator," "The Last Temptation of Christ" and "The Da Vinci Code." Even popular recording artists like Peter Frampton, Lionel Richie and the Eagles have incorporated the duduk into their songs.

Ironically, despite its rising popularity in Western culture, the number of music schools teaching Armenian duduk have significantly declined in recent years.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there were once 236 functioning music schools in Armenia that taught duduk. As of 2005, the number of schools has decreased to 165.

UNESCO has consequently chosen the Armenian duduk as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. According to McCollum this is not only because of its uniqueness as distinctly Armenian, but also because the music preserved by this instrument serves to connect, transmit, and maintain the musical values, language, and cultural history of the Armenian people.

Following McCollum's talk, master musicians Martin Haroutunian, David Gevorkian and Doug James performed traditional Armenian duduk pieces. Their beautifully evocative concert took the audience on a soulful sojourn through songs of the homeland.

ALMA also offered free Museum admission one hour before the program began, giving guests the opportunity to see “The Armenian Musical Traditions,” a major music exhibit curated by McCollum in the Museum’s Simourian Family Gallery.  The fascinating exhibit explores the instruments that developed in Armenia and the various genres of traditional music, such as including religious, folk, troubadour, contemporary and the unique American-Armenian style played at picnics in the United States.

About Dr. Jonathan McCollum
Dr. McCollum’s experiences and interests as an ALMA Research Fellow have spanned several fields such as ethnomusicology, historical musicology, archeomusicology, museum studies and art history. He is the co-author of Armenian Music: A Comprehensive Bibliography and Discography (Scarecrow Press, 2004), and is a contributor to Identity, Pluralism, and Soviet Music (Scarecrow Press, in press), Defining Music: An Ethnomusicological and Philosophical Approach (Edwin Mellen Press, 2007), and wrote the chapter on “Music of Central Asia and the Caucasus” in OnMusic World Music Online textbook (2008).