Composer Mary Kouyoumdjian — “They Will Take My Island”

In this new film, commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Armanian-American composer's music is performed by both the JACK Quartet and the Silvana Quartet

The Violin Channel received exclusive access to the film's trailer as well as an interview with the composer.

Premiering on January 26th, "They Will Take My Island" is a collaboration between composer Mary Kouyoumdjian and filmmaker Atom Egoyan, over their mutual admiration of the Armenian painter Arshile Gorky.

"We reflected on the Armenian Genocide through the lens of an individual artist processing such horrors through his art making, and Gorky's creative work invited us to process our own identities as descendants of survivors and to choose how/what we amplify with our artistic voices," Kouyoumdjian said.

"We recorded the score with collaborators Silvana and JACK Quartets and mixing engineer Jascha Narveson. Working with these musicians is such a dream, as they’re not only dear friends and humans I adore, but they’re so well acquainted with my musical language, which often invites musicians to integrate elements of Armenian folk into their approach.

"When Atom and I created They Will Take My Island, we never would have anticipated that Armenian history would devastatingly repeat itself in our present. With the war in Artsakh, current conflicts over indigenous Armenian lands, we feel not only a responsibility to celebrate our culture as best as we are able, but to shout for aid and attention on the Armenian community as we all confront this global humanitarian crisis together. I hope audiences will connect and empathize with Gorky as an individual processing universal and timeless themes of home and identity, and that they will also feel the urgency in confronting the horrific circumstances occurring in our present."