The Armenian genocide (1915–1923) reportedly took the lives of over 1.5 million Armenians and is considered by many to be the first genocide of the twentieth century. Despite the Turkish government's general denial of the event, for the Armenians this period in history is an omnipresent source of pain and historical consciousness that finds itself expressed through literature, art, and music. Three overarching areas of Armenian music have been infused by the genocide: (1) Armenian music history and the work of Armenian musicologist Komitas Vardapet; (2) the style and content of some Armenian songs that validate the experience of the Armenian genocide; and (3) religious ritual performances for the preservation of Armenian identity in the diaspora.

Komitas Vardapet and the Armenian Genocide

In terms of Armenian musical history, the genocide profoundly...