SACRAMENTO—Assemblymember Nazarian has successfully restored $500,000 to the Lark Musical Society. The allocation was initially included in the California State Budget of 2016–17 by Assemblymember Nazarian. Unfortunately, Governor Brown’s 2017–18 Budget draft eliminated the $500,000 due to budget cuts.
“I am thankful that Governor Brown and his staff took the time to listen to my arguments, and recognized the cultural importance of Lark Musical Society,” stated Assemblymember Nazarian. “LARK can expand their significant contributions to the arts and train a new generation of musicians.”
“Lark Musical Society has been serving the community for over 20 years as the ambassador for western classical music and Armenian culture. It is with great pride that we accept this endorsement from the great state of California,” stated Lark Musical Society’s Chairman of the Board Andy Torosyan. “We will use these funds to continue our service and transform Lark Musical Society into a cultural center we can all be proud of. We are grateful for the visionary leadership of Assembly Member Adrin Nazarian and his colleagues in Sacramento who made this possible for Lark.”
For over 25 years, Lark Musical Society has served the community in three significant ways. First, as a school for children to learn western classical music, second it has brought to life thousands of classical music performances, and third it has published new musicological treatises and commissioned over 40 new musical compositions.
The Lark Musical Society is a collective of Armenian musicians with a passion for great classical and folk music. Musicianship is the cornerstone of LARK’s activities, however in the last 20 years LARK has expanded to become a hub for artists practicing in all mediums.
To date, LARK has organized over 300 concert events; published 30-plus scholarly treatises and musical anthologies; produced five compact discs; hosted numerous symposia and lectures; garnered commendations and awards on the state, national, and international level; and educated hundreds of students in a wide range of musical studies.
Adrin Nazarian represents the 46th Assembly District, serving the San Fernando Valley communities of Hollywood Hills, Lake Balboa, North Hills, North Hollywood, Panorama City, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Toluca Lake, Valley Glen, Universal City, Van Nuys, and Valley Village.
This is good news. Adrin Nazarian has done a nice job and LARK deserves every penny of the allocation.
However, I would like to make a point: In a report of this length, one should recognize the efforts of Vatche Barssoumyan, too. You know, he is the founder of LARK and a real force that attracts both artists and children.