Founded by Gevorg Dabaghyan in 1991, Shoghaken has become one of the preeminent traditional music ensembles in Armenia featuring the country’s top instrumentalists, singers and dancers performing music from the villages of historic Armenia. You might recall that in the summer of 2002 Shoghaken was chosen by the internationally acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma to perform at the "Silk Road Festival" presented by the Smithsonian Folk Festival downtown. As a matter of fact, Shoghaken has performed extensively in Europe, Armenia and throughout the former Soviet Union, and most recently recorded for the soundtrack of Atom Egoyan's movie, Ararat. Dedicated to rediscovering and continuing Armenia’s folk music tradition, the group presents music from a broad geographical and historical span using traditional instruments and song styles. With an ancient repertoire of exotic dances, haunting lullabies and love songs, Shoghaken has mesmerized audiences far beyond the Caucaus mountains, where Armenians have lived for centuries as the first Christian state established in 301 AD.

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