ARAM GHARABEKIAN: THEY LISTEN TO THE SAME MUSIC BOTH IN CONCERTS, AND RESTAURANTS AND WEDDING PARTIES"
By Rouzan Poghosian, Translated by K.A.

AZG Armenian Daily
08/09/2007

"My aim is that Shoushi becomes a scientific and cultural center, so
that we can hold a cultural festival there in three years. We begin our
new series of concerts by organizing the first festival of classical
music in Artsakh. Our concerts will be entitled "Classical Art for the
People." We will perform life music for the people, as they really
need that. Unfortunately, they do not broadcast life music over the
Armenian TV channels, as the Tv officials do not estimate its true
value and do not spread that. We try to feel the gap, by organizing
musical trips to the most remote villages of Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh," Aram Gharabekian, head of RA State Chamber Orchestra,
said this at yesterday’s press conference at "Friday" club.

Mr. Gharabekian added that by the assistance of RA culture Ministry,
as well as by the sponsorship of NKR culture Ministry, a series
of concerts of classical music will be held in NKR on September
11-15. The concerts will be held in Stepanakert, Shoushi, Martakert,
az well as in Gandzasar and Vanq villages.

The concerts will be dedicated to the 15th anniversary of Shoushi
liberation. The gala concert will be held in the Renaissance Square
in Stepanakert on September 15. Mr. Gharabekian said that not only Ra
State Chamber Orchestra will participate in the concerts but also NKR
State Chamber Orchestra, NKR Military Orchestra, as well as sopranos
Noune Badalian and Artsvik demourchian.

This is the second time that RA State Chamber Orchestra leaves for
Shoushi to hold concerts, while the concerts in Martakert, Gandzasar
and Vank are news in their program. So the musicians are looking
forward to holding the upcoming concert in the ancient amphitheatre in
Gandzasar. The Gala concert will be broadcasted by RA Public TV. "It’s
worth mentioning that, folloqing the European model, our Culture
Ministry finances various concerts. This is one of the best ways to
develop the culture. By giving concerts in various villages and towns
of Armenia, we can reveal the phenomenon of our people. It’s quite
an unprecedented feeling, when you visit and give a concert in places
where nobody listen to classical music for over 25 years, and at least
two generations were deprived of that kind of art. It’s astounding
how people welcome us and how they listen to the serious program of
classical music. They feel at a loss for the first 10 minutes, but
a bit later they already enjoy the music. We can understand them,
as for many years they got accustomed to listening to low quality
music, paying AMD 1000-2000 for the concerts. It’s a common thing
for the people. We speak to their heart by our music, some children
approach us, take our musical instruments, touch them and study their
construction. Getting greatly inspired by them, we get to know our
people better and better," Mr Gharabekian added. Gharabekian, who
moved to Armenia 10 years ago and managed to travel all over Armenia,
emphasized that the greater part of our people consider that Armenia
ends in Yerevan, including, perhaps, Garni, Geghard and the Lake
Sevan. He thinks that our country is like a paradise, where people
and customs vary after each 50 kilometers. Such a unique feature of
Armenia should be underlines by means of musical festivals, so that the
foreigners who visit our country can enjoy their stay by attending the
concerts of our orchestras, lest they leave Armenia with the feeling
that Kurdish and Turkish melodies belong to the Armenian national
musical tradition. "They play the same music both in the concerts,
and in the restaurants and wedding parties. They perform Kurdish
and Turkish melodies at the opening ceremonies of the Pan-Armenian
games. I don’t mean that one should perform pieces by Beethoven at
the opening ceremony of the Pan Armenian Games, but they, at least,
should have the idea of what they do. Our state should pay attention
to the culture as much, as they do to the development of sports. They
should elaborate a concept for cultural policy of our nation. Perhaps,
in this case, many things will change," Gharabekian said.

Gharabekian also drew the attention of the journalists to the fact
that many lamps installed for the illumination of the Yerevan Opera
House are already broken. While entering the Opera House one can
hear the noise coming out from the basement of the building, where
the notorious "Opera" club functions.