Hosted at Mingei International Museum
Experience the living pulse of Armenian folk culture through a captivating performance by Lernazang Ensemble, a collective of musicians, dancers, and ethnomusicologists dedicated to preserving and reimagining Armenian music and dance. Featuring the evocative sounds of duduk, oud, dhol, and voice, alongside Armenian dance, the ensemble brings to life the music and movement of post-Genocide Western Armenia (Anatolia) and the Southern Caucasus. Their approach aims to revitalize Armenian folk heritage by blending deep cultural research with striking artistic expression.
Members of the audience are invited to engage with the artists in a Q&A following the performance to learn more about the traditions, history, and contemporary significance of Armenian music and dance.
About the Artists
Lernazang is a nonprofit organization, cultural collective, and performance ensemble based in Los Angeles. Their mission is to decolonize Armenian dance and music aesthetics while strengthening Armenian cultural heritage in the diaspora.
Founded in 2017, Lernazang provides community dance classes, workshops, and performances throughout the Los Angeles area. Performing in the Armenian azgagrakan style, Lernazang merges critical academic inquiry and ethnographic research with intergenerational transmission in order to reshape Armenian identity in the post-Genocide diaspora. Through an artistic approach that is grounded in both historical perspective and contemporary critique, Lernazang’s music and dance grapple with current social issues while enriching the cultural landscape of LA.
Armen Adamian, co-founder and artistic director of Lernazang, is a PhD candidate in ethnomusicology at UCLA. His research examines the aesthetic and political dimensions of folk music in the post-Soviet Republic of Armenia. He also designed and taught the first-ever Armenian Music Ensemble course at UCLA, devoted to the practice and performance of Armenian folk music. He received his MA in ethnomusicology from UCLA, following a BA in Psychology and a BA in Music Composition from Humboldt State University.
Natalie Kamajian, co-founder and dance director of Lernazang, is a PhD candidate in culture and performance in the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance. She teaches Armenian azgagrakan dance classes throughout the LA area, including the first university-level Armenian dance course at UCLA. Her doctoral research examines how Armenians utilize dance and performance as a means to negotiate their ethnicity and racial otherness in America. She received her MA in culture and performance from UCLA, and a BA in international studies from the University of San Francisco.
La Jolla Community Center
January 16th, 2026 | Mbira Bhururu: Songs of the Shona People of Zimbabwe
February 20th, 2026 | The Clinton Davis String Band: American String Traditions
March 20th, 2026 | Oghlan Bakshi: The Bardic Traditions of Turkmenistan
Mingei International Museum
April 17th, 2026 | Ivan and Tzvetanka Varimezov: Music from the Villages of Bulgaria
May 15th, 2026 | Shadow Puppetry & Gamelan of Java with Woro Mustiko Siwi
This is the sixth of six concerts in our 2026 Global Stage Passport Series.
