Darek Mazzone, spoke to John Hodian, the composer behind the Armenian Ensemble, Nagahash. We at SAMA love Armenian classical music. The range and emotional power of the form creates a transcendent state in the listener. John Hodian is an Armenian-American composer who is known for creating and leading The Naghash Ensemble. The ensemble is a group of Armenian musicians and singers who perform classical Armenian music, specifically the poetry of the medieval Armenian poet Mkrtich Naghash. Hodian was inspired to form the ensemble after hearing the voice of Hasmik Baghdasaryan singing medieval Armenian spiritual music in an ancient pagan temple outside of Yerevan, Armenia.