Tankian’s song for Aurora Prize
Prominent musician and political activist, Serj Tankian has composed a special track called “Aurora’s Dream.” The composition will be the theme music for the upcoming inaugural Aurora Prize ceremony to be held in Yerevan, Armenia on April 24, 2016. The Aurora Prize was born of the 100 LIVES initiative, which is rooted in the inspiring stories of courage and survival during the Armenian Genocide one hundred years ago. The subject is dear to Serj’s heart as Tankian’s own family would not have survived without the American missionaries who ran the orphanage in which his grandfather was raised. Tankian’s maternal grandmother Varsenig survived the massacres thanks to the bravery of a Turkish mayor, who put his life on the line to hide her and her family. This righteous Turkish citizen refused to carry out the government’s orders to kill or deport Armenians; many who undertook similar acts of selflessness at this time were executed by the Ottoman government for defying authority. Commenting on the release of the new song, Serj Tankian said, “Of all the tracks I’ve composed and produced over the last few years, ‘Aurora’s Dream’ is my favorite. I’m glad it was for the Aurora Prize and 100 LIVES initiative - an organization doing wonderful things by bringing attention to devastating tragedies and the real heroes that rise to the occasion.” Arman Jilavian, CEO 100 LIVES and the Aurora Prize said, “We are grateful to Serj for the creativity, enthusiasm and passion he brought to our project. Above all, his beautiful composition acts as a tribute to Aurora, the woman after whom the prize was named and who bore witness to the horrors of the Armenian Genocide and bravely told the world her story of survival to raise awareness for the 1915 atrocities. Through the Aurora Prize, we aim to raise awareness of the men and women who are courageously saving lives around the world today.” About 100 LIVES 100 LIVES is a new global initiative rooted in the events of the Armenian Genocide, during which 1.5 million Armenians perished. The fortunate few were saved by the courageous and heroic acts of individuals and institutions. A century later, 100 LIVES seeks to express gratitude, to share remarkable stories of survivors and their saviors, and to celebrate the strength of the human spirit. 100 LIVES is an initiative of the IDeA Foundation (Initiatives for Development of Armenia), a charitable foundation committed to promoting socioeconomic development in Armenia through investments in long-term, non-profit projects. About the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity On behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, an Aurora Prize Laureate will be honored each year with a US$100,000 grant as well as the unique opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by nominating organizations that inspired their work for a US$1,000,000 award. Recipients will be recognized for the exceptional impact their actions have made on preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes. The Aurora Prize Selection Committee includes Nobel Laureates Elie Wiesel, Oscar Arias, Shirin Ebadi and Leymah Gbowee; former President of Ireland Mary Robinson; human rights activist Hina Jilani; former Australian Foreign Minister and President Emeritus of the International Crisis Group Gareth Evans; President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York Vartan Gregorian; and Academy Award-winning actor and humanitarian George Clooney. The Aurora Prize will be awarded annually on April 24 in Yerevan, Armenia.
