A native of Stepanakert, 17-year-old Dariné gave her first concert on her birthday when she was two! She quickly became the little star of a local children's choir and remembers fondly when she was allowed to conduct the choir in her favourite piece at the tender age of 7.
On September 27, 2020, when the tyrants from Turkey and Azerbaijan decided to "finish" the job of their grandparents—yes, an actual quote from Turkish dictator Erdoğan—our young Dariné fled to safety in Yerevan with her two little sisters and mother. The father stayed behind to defend the homeland; so did her two cousins doing mandatory service at the time.
Once in Yerevan, Dariné immediately got to work to raise funds for the Insurance Foundation for Servicemen. Busking on Yerevan's Northern Avenue with her friends, she was able to raise over 1,250 USD in just 5 days! She displayed her receipt from the Foundation proudly during our recent online interview. She became a member of the now well-known young Jazz group directed by jazzman Tigran Suchyan Toti comprised of youths from Yerevan and Artsakh, the "Artsakhikner." With this group she was recently featured as a soloist in a New Year video-advertisement for Armenia Wine!
Soon after the war, Dariné was accepted as a student of the Yerevan State College of Culture and Arts in the Jazz department. The Atken Armenian Foundation is the main sponsor for her studies. During the interview, Darine explained that the power of music truly helped she and her friends survive the trauma of war. "Music is my life," Dariné explained, "and my dream is to one day return to Artsakh and contribute to developing music education, since music, you see, is the perfect tool to express human emotions and life itself!"
Happily, her father and cousins are safe and sound. We have much to be grateful for their selfless sacrifice in the name of human dignity. Show your gratitude by helping us empower our resilient and talented Dariné!
