On Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 7:00 PM, St. Apkar Armenian Apostolic Church of Arizona will present “Armenian American Songs & Stories,” a special evening celebrating the church’s 17-year history while honoring the life and music of Alan Hovhaness. Held at Melikian Hall in Scottsdale under the auspices of H.E. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, the black-tie event will bring together the Armenian community, music lovers, and friends of the church for an evening celebrating Armenian-American culture, heritage, and music.
The evening will give special recognition to Hovhaness and the remarkable way his Armenian heritage became part of a musical language that ultimately reached far beyond any single culture. Born in Massachusetts to an Armenian father and an American mother of Scottish ancestry, Hovhaness became one of America’s most prolific composers, drawing inspiration not only from his Armenian roots but eventually from musical and spiritual traditions throughout Asia. His lifelong exploration of different cultures produced music that could be distinctly Armenian in spirit while also expressing his broader belief that music could transcend national and cultural boundaries. The Scottsdale celebration provides a fitting opportunity to remember this important part of Hovhaness’s legacy within a living Armenian-American community.
Following the 7:00 PM concert, guests are invited to continue the evening with a cocktail and hors d’oeuvre reception. Tickets are $150 per person, and proceeds support St. Apkar Armenian Apostolic Church and its continuing mission in Arizona. The event will be held at Melikian Hall, 8849 E. Cholla Street, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260. For ticket information, guests may use the QR code on the event flyer; questions may be directed by text to Berj Dikranian at (602) 206-4405 or Bedros Touresian at (480) 227-4368.
Meet the Musicians
Lawrence Loeber — Piano
A native of Ohio, Lawrence Loeber has enjoyed a long association with The Phoenix Symphony as a pianist and serves as collaborative pianist for the Phoenix Symphony Chorus. He has appeared as soloist in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with both The Phoenix Symphony and Arizona Musicfest Orchestra and has been featured in numerous collaborations with Ballet Arizona. His recordings include the solo piano album Grace Notes and Someone to Watch with soprano Jenn Raithel Newman.
Loeber’s interests extend well beyond music. He earned an undergraduate degree in German from Case Western Reserve University and a master’s degree in Chinese Linguistics from The Ohio State University. He also maintains a private piano studio in Scottsdale.
Sarah Smith — Soprano
Sarah Smith earned her Bachelor of Music from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Arizona State University. Following her 2010 professional debut with The Phoenix Symphony, she has performed extensively throughout Arizona with organizations including Arizona Opera, Arizona Philharmonic, Arizona Musicfest, the Arizona Bach Festival, Phoenix Chorale, True Concord Voices and Symphony of the Southwest.
In addition to performing, Smith has devoted much of her career to music education, teaching private voice students and previously serving on the adjunct voice faculties of several Arizona community colleges. More recently, she has combined her interests in creativity, education and community engagement through nonprofit arts administration and serves as Director of Operations at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West.
Sarah Smith professional website
Hayato Tanaka — Trumpet
Hayato Tanaka is Assistant Principal Trumpet of The Phoenix Symphony. Before coming to Phoenix, he served as Principal Trumpet of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and performed with many leading North American orchestras, including The Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Houston Symphony and Montreal Symphony.
Tanaka studied with Michael Sachs, Principal Trumpet of The Cleveland Orchestra, completing the Artist Certificate program at the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2015. He subsequently studied with Los Angeles Philharmonic Associate Principal Trumpet James Wilt at the Colburn School, completing his Professional Studies Certificate in 2017.
Jarrett May — Flute
Jarrett May joined The Phoenix Symphony as Piccolo/Utility Flute at the beginning of the 2025–26 season, following positions with the Palm Beach Symphony and Florida Grand Opera. An accomplished competition winner, he received first prizes in the Seattle Flute Society and Eastman Tal-Perkes Young Artist competitions. At age 16, he was named a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Scholar and subsequently appeared on NPR’s From the Top.
Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, May studied at Interlochen Arts Academy before earning his Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music and Master of Music from the Yale School of Music. His musical experiences have also included the Music Academy of the West, Spoleto Festival USA and Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the United States.
Levon Zarasian — Violin
Levon Zarasian has been a member of the First Violin section of The Phoenix Symphony since 1992. He studied with Jascha Brodsky at the New School of Music and later received the Algur Meadows Scholarship to Southern Methodist University, where he served as concertmaster of the SMU Orchestra and First Violinist of the Algur Meadows String Quartet while studying with Erick Friedman.
Before moving to the United States, Zarasian was the youngest member of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra and participated in the Bach Violin Competition in Leipzig. He later became a semifinalist in the AGBU Aram Khachaturian Competition in New York and has performed extensively as an orchestral musician, chamber musician and recitalist. He is also a dedicated teacher whose students have received scholarships and pursued careers in music.
Levon Zarasian — The Phoenix Symphony
Lan Qiu — Violin
Lan Qiu is a distinguished violinist whose career has spanned more than three decades across Asia, Europe and North America. A 1989 graduate of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, he joined the first violin section of the China Central Philharmonic Orchestra and later served as Acting Concertmaster. In 1996, he was recognized as an “Outstanding Young Artist of China.”
Qiu joined the First Violin section of The Phoenix Symphony in 2003 and remained with the orchestra until his retirement during the 2024–25 season. He continues to share his love of music through community performances, frequently appearing with his wife, violinist Joy Pan, in settings ranging from churches and concert venues to hospitals and family gatherings. Phoenix Symphony archival programs document his longtime membership in the orchestra.
Dumitru Lazarescu — Violin/Viola
Romanian-born violinist Dumitru Lazarescu joined The Phoenix Symphony in 1982 after coming to the United States following his defection from Romania in 1980. He began violin studies at age six, attended the Dinu Lipatti Music High School and earned a master’s degree in violin performance from the Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory in Bucharest. Before leaving Romania, he spent nine years with the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra.
Today, Lazarescu serves as Assistant Principal Second Violin of The Phoenix Symphony. He has also performed as an orchestral and chamber musician at the Grand Teton Music Festival. Among his memorable musical experiences was meeting Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian during the composer’s visit to Romania in the early 1960s—a particularly meaningful connection for this Armenian-American program. His current Phoenix Symphony position is confirmed by the orchestra’s roster.
Jan Simiz — Cello
Romanian-born cellist Jan Simiz is Assistant Principal Cello of The Phoenix Symphony. He began playing cello at age nine and studied at the Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory in Bucharest before coming to the United States in 1980. He later earned his master’s degree in cello performance from the University of Southern California, studying with Eleanore Schoenfeld and Gabor Rejto and participating in master classes with distinguished cellists including Lynn Harrell and Zara Nelsova.
Before joining The Phoenix Symphony in 1985, Simiz performed with the Sacramento Symphony. He has remained active as a chamber musician throughout his career and has performed with organizations and festivals including the Red Rocks Music Festival and Music in the Mountains in Durango, Colorado. The Phoenix Symphony currently lists him as Assistant Principal Cello.
