Did you know that Stephan Karam, an Assyrian-Armenian violinist, self-published his own LP record in 1970, and advertised about it in the July/August issue of The Assyrian Star magazine? In the record, Karam performed pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Giuseppe Tartini, and several other composers. He also performed his own composition called “Adagio from Sonata […]
Did you know that in 2006, the talented artist, Qais Al-Sindy, created an art exhibition called Letters Don’t Burn, to bring to the world’s attention the fact that the library of the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad was completely burned down in 2003? After personally witnessing the aftermath of its destruction, Al-Sindy had to […]
Chicago’s Assyrian community owes a debt to the many Assyrians who came to the United States in the early 20th century. Helen James Schwarten is one of those people. Born in 1910 in the village of Seiri, in Urmia, Persia (present-day Iran), Helen was the third child of Anna and Joseph Nimrod. In 1917, […]
The Assyrian Cultural Foundation’s Lead Music Instructor, Rasson Betyonan, helped create ACF’s music program. However, his musical contributions do not stop there. He has been teaching and composing music for over forty years. Born in Tehran, Iran, Betyonan showed an interest in music at an early age. Although his parents discouraged him from playing […]
Did you know that the Assyrian Cultural Foundation’s Music Program is Named After the Assyrian Musician, Nebu J. Issabey? Among his many accomplishments, Issabey is perhaps best known for founding the Nineveh Choir in 1955, which was Tehran’s first Assyrian choir. The choir performed a wide variety of pieces, including works by composers such as […]
