Entertainment

Aznavoorian Sisters to Playing Boston Debut Concert at the Armenian Museum of America

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The Armenian Museum is hosting the Boston area debut of the acclaimedAznavoorian Sisters (cellist Ani Aznavoorian and pianist Marta Aznavoorian) on March 28. The Armenian Museum of America recently announced the first Music in Color concert of the season featuring acclaimed cellist Ani Aznavoorian and pianist Marta Aznavoorian, making their Boston debut as a duo, on Saturday, March 28, at 7:00 p.m.

The concert will feature Armenian composers alongside classical repertoire. A highlight will be the Boston premiere of Peter Boyer’s “Mount Ararat,” written for the Aznavoorian Sisters. Additionally, the program will include compositions by Komitas, Brahms (Sonata for Cello and Piano in F Major, Opus 99), Avet Terterian (Sonata for Cello and Piano), and Paganini. The Music in Color program fosters meaningful engagement with the Museum’s exhibitions, inviting audiences to experience the rich tapestry of Armenian music and art.

Entertainment

Duo Bringing Music from Memphis to Senior Center

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On Wednesday, March 4 at 2 p.m., the Retro Polatin Duo will be presenting this show at the Watertown Senior Center. See details provided by the duo, below. Memphis has a rich and influential musical history. Its musical legacy is exciting, diverse, and extremely significant in the history of American culture. It’s often called the “Home of the Blues” and “Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” 

In this one hour entertaining and educational program, the Retro Polatin Duo (Jill Goldman and David Polatin) will discuss, sing and play guitar and bass on songs from Memphis artists.

Entertainment

Watertown School Performances: Middle School Musical “Willy Wonka Jr,” Bandarama

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Watertown’s young musicians and stage performers will be featured in some upcoming events. Bandarama features musicians from around the district, and Watertown Middle School will present the musical “Willy Wonka Jr.” See details provided by the Watertown Public Schools, below. Watertown Middle School presents “Willy Wonka Jr.” March 6-8, 2026 at the WMS Auditorium.

Entertainment

Jazz Vocalist Kris Adams Performing in MCA’s Chords & Cocktails Series

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The following announcement was provided by the Mosesian Center for the Arts:

The Mosesian Center for the Arts continues its relaunched jazz series, Chords and Cocktails, with an evening of expressive jazz, lyrical storytelling, and world-class musicianship. On Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 7:30 PM, acclaimed vocalist Kris Adams is joined by legendary trumpeter, composer, and arranger Greg Hopkins, along with an ensemble of distinguished musicians, for an intimate performance in the Dinah Lane Theater. Known for her warm tone, emotional clarity, and deep connection to lyric and melody, Adams is a celebrated jazz vocalist and educator whose work bridges classic jazz traditions and contemporary expression. A graduate of Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory, she has performed internationally at festivals and venues across the United States and Europe, including Italy’s Fara Sabina Jazz Festival. Her recordings have been praised for their nuance, sensitivity, and musical honesty.

Entertainment

High School Students Can Apply for Business of Music Internships

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Rick Saunders, on keyboard, performs at the Watertown Arts Market, 2025. High School students can apply for the “Business of Music” internship created by the City of Watertown’s Public Arts & Culture program and the Watertown Fine & Performing Arts. See details below. The City of Watertown’s Public Arts & Culture program, in partnership with Watertown Fine & Performing Arts (WFPA), invites local high school students to apply for the 2026 “Business of Music” Internship. Specifically designed for Watertown students entering grades 10 through 12, this program pulls back the curtain on the professional music world.

Entertainment

Paul Jost and Jim Ridl Bring Soulful Jazz Storytelling to the Mosesian Center for the Arts

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The following announcement was provided by the Mosesian Center for the Arts:

The Mosesian Center for the Arts brings its relaunched jazz series, Chords and Cocktails, into the new year with an evening of soulful storytelling and virtuosic musicianship. On Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026 at 7:30 p.m., acclaimed vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Paul Jost is joined by pianist and composer Jim Ridl for an intimate and compelling performance in the Charles Mosesian Theater. Hailed as “one of the most soulful jazz vocalists of his generation,” Jost is known for his passionate delivery, inventive phrasing, and deeply expressive approach to song. A multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and composer, he has performed at leading venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center, the 55 Bar, SMOKE Jazz Club, and major international festivals worldwide.

Entertainment

Watertown Band, Dolata, Releasing First EP & Hosting Listening Party

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Dolata, from top left counter clockwise, Madi Donlan, Joe Froeber, Reilly Somach, and Amelia Allison. Dolata, a band out of Watertown featuring dual lead singers, recently released its debut single, and will soon host a listening party for its first EP. Co-lead singers, Madi Donlan, of Watertown, and Joe Froeber, a native of the North Shore, teamed up recently to form the the new band. In November, Dolata released its first song, “Friday Girl,” which Donlan wrote based on her own experiences. “When I first started writing it, it was about a best friend of mine, Jill, who passed away a few years back,” Donlan said.

Entertainment

Concert of Traditional Armenian Folk Songs Being Held at Watertown Church

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The following announcement was provided by Orchestra Without Borders:

As October draws to a close, preparations are underway for a multidisiplinary celebration of Armenia’s musical heritage in Watertown, home of New England’s largest Armenian community and a new statue of the Armenian musician Komitas. 

A priest, composer, choir leader, and musicologist, Komitas (also known as Gomidas Vartabed) established much of the musical heritage of Armenia as we know it today. He collected folk tunes from all over the country, recording them for posterity in several published volumes. Although Komitas himself became a casualty of the Armenian Genocide (traumatized by what he experienced during his deportation, he died in a pyschiatric clinic), his music lives on, including in the set of Armenian folk songs transcribed for strings by Sergey Aslamazyan, founder of the renowned Komitas Quartet. 

On December 12th at 8 p.m. at the historic St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Watertown, MA — where Komitas’s music forms part of the weekly liturgy — the Orchestra Without Borders of Boston, led by conductor Luca Antonucci, will perform the Armenian Folk Songs transcribed by Aslamazyan in collaboration with the women of the internationally-renowned Sayat Nova Dance Company, a leading Armenian dance organization. The concert, which is sponsored by the Watertown and Mass Cultural Councils and co-hosted by six local Armenian churches, also features a special archival display from the collection of NAASR, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research. 

Rounding out the program are two rarely-heard works for string orchestra by composers from the Armenian Diaspora: New England native Alan Hovhannes and Soviet-era composer Alexander Arutiunian. 

Composing in 1970s Soviet Armenia, Arutiunian forged a unique expressive musical voice that fused elements of Armenian folk music with aspects of the Russian musical lineage of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and, more recently, Shostakovich and Prokofiev.