The Music of Armenia, Volume 3: Duduk
Gevorg Dabagian is among the most importantdudukplayers  in Armenia today. Not only a great virtuoso player, he is also one of the  first to perform excerpts from the Divine Liturgy of the Armenian church on  theduduk, a double-reed wind instrument developed nearly 1,500  years ago. Its signature tone is plangent, mournful, and slightly nasal,  but it is also capable of tender lyricism and genuine, if somewhat subdued  energy. Dabagian is especially famous for his interpretations of the works  of Sayat Nova, and his performances of traditional Armenian folk music are  considered by purists to be free of foreign influence. He studied at the  Yerevan State Conservatory, where he now teaches; in addition, he is the  leader of the Shoghaken Folk Ensemble.Gevorg Dabagian is the soloist,  but thedudukis never played alone. A secondduduk(or even  a small group ofdudukplayers) will always accompany the lead  player with a drone, creating a musical environment for the leadduduk's melody. Theduduk dam, or drone accompaniment, is  provided by Girgor Takushian and Eduard Harutunian. Kamo Khachaturian, one  of Armenia's most sought-after percussionists, plays thedholtwo-headed drum.