When Edward joined the Vahé & Lucy Foundation Fellowship at Impact Hub Yerevan, he carried with him both a vision and a responsibility. His project, Alik, was born out of a desire to preserve Western Armenian — a language rich in history but vulnerable to fading — through the universal power of music.
“We want to preserve Western Armenian, by modernizing music with AI and modern tools,” Edward explains.
Edward and his team imagined a space where tradition could meet technology. With Alik, they are developing an AI platform that allows people to generate Western Armenian music, blending modern tools with cultural heritage. But their vision goes beyond technology. Alik also creates opportunities for learning and connection through workshops, concerts, and collaborations with other artists.
The fellowship became a turning point in shaping that vision.
“During the Vahé & Lucy Fellowship, we had great experiences. We learned many new things that we never thought of before,” he says, adding, “The Vahé & Lucy Fellowship is for creative people. Often, creative people don’t think about business. They focus more on their work. This program helps us as creative people to have profitable businesses.”
The program opened doors to new ideas, networks, and tools that have shaped Alik’s growth. Of course, the journey hasn’t been simple. At first, Edward believed building an AI platform would be straightforward. Soon, he realized the challenges were far greater than expected. But with the support of peers, mentors, and the wider fellowship community, Alik has been able to push forward.
“We were a bit optimistic when we started Alik. We thought building our AI platform would be easy. But as we worked and moved forward, we saw it’s not — there are difficulties. But yes, thanks to our friends and especially the network within the fellowship, we can move forward and overcome them.”
For inspiration, Edward looks back to the great Armenian musicians and cultural figures who preserved and carried Armenian heritage through their art — people like Komitas and Hayrik Muradyan. Following in their footsteps, he envisions Alik as a bridge between past and future, where no single genre dominates but all are welcomed for their unique history and sound.
Through Alik, Edward is proving that preserving a language doesn’t have to mean looking backward. Instead, it can mean embracing innovation, creativity, and community. With the support of Impact Hub Yerevan and the Vahé & Lucy Fellowship, Alik is carving a path for Western Armenian to live on — not only in memory, but in the music of today and tomorrow.