Yasha Levine, who frequently reports from Armenia for the Jewish Telegraph Agency, has written a fascinating feature article on the growing popularity of the composer Willy Weiner in the country. Weiner was born and raised in Armenia, which has a Jewish population numbering in the hundreds. After graduating as a violinist from the famous Yerevan Conservatory, he spent several years touring with Armenia’s orchestras. In the late 1990s, Weiner moved to Israel with his two sisters and parents. However, he soon came back to Armenia, where he has, perhaps ironically, turned to music inspired by Jewish melodies and themes in recent years:

«I drew great inspiration from Israel, but I could not write music there,” Weiner told JTA. “When I was in Israel, I did not write a single note, but as soon as I came back to Armenia, the music began to flow.”

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