On December 11, the 5th Khachaturian International Festival summed up. The closing ceremony of the festival was just as impressive, as the start. The Gala concert was live streamed on the world's leading classical music channel MEDICI.TV. MEDICI.TV’s permanent followers are over 500,000. The State Youth Orchestra of Armenia, headed by conductor Sergey Smbatyan, presented compositions by two great representatives of the Armenian Composers' School: the Symphony No. 3 by Avet Terterian and the Symphony No.2 “The Bell Symphony” by Aram Khachaturian.

Summing up the 5th festival the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia Sergey Smbatyan noted that one of the peculiarities of the festival was the introduction of musical formats that were new to the world.

''We presented concert programs with contrasts (Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Schnittke, Mirzoyan, Terteryan, Khachaturian), and we have chosen everything carefully. We also demonstrated the high performing art of the orchestra. These two months of music and packed halls state the fact that the society has a desire to listen to good music,'' maestro Smbatyan noted.

Sergey Smbatyan added that the live stream of the concert by MEDICI.TV is one of the major achievements of their big team. 

''MEDICI.TV is the largest platform of classical music dictating high standards, musical principles, and it is a great victory to present on this channel Armenian program,'' maestro added.

The Director of the HD Studio Karen Khachatryan was responsible for the live streaming. He noted that MEDICI.TV has specific requirements for content, shots, as well as artistic requirements. Karen Khachatryan added that it was a great responsibility for them to supply the live streaming for MEDICI.TV. '' Working for four years with Youth Orchestra and thanks to the audience, gaining a great portfolio, we managed to reach the point that MEDICI.TV appreciated our work''.

During the evening, a movie about the 5th Khachaturian International Festival was screened on Medici.tv. The film retrospectively reflected on the past two months.

Thunder of applause and ovations: both compositions were highly appreciated. Avet Terterian wrote the Symphony No. 3 in 1975, a composition in which the composer harmonized the zurna and the duduk with the orchestra. And the Symphony No.2 by Aram Khachaturian is full of deep drama and diverse sound.

The Khachaturian Festival has also received appreciations in the professional circles.

The Minister of Culture of RA Armen Amiryan noted that the Khachaturian Festival has its unique, stable place in our cultural life and communicates us with global stars, presents such programs that are novelties in the world.

“Never setting aside any program, however, we must admit that Khachaturian festival has a very creative idea, is very interesting and always follows innovations in art, takes new steps and new initiatives which make the festival and the cultural life more interesting and colorful. I want to congratulate all those who had the opportunity to communicate with this exclusive concert and the organizers and I hope that the festival will continue to keep the high level in the years to come and will take the high standard of art to the upper level of development of our cultural life, and will be in the highest point,” Armen Amiryan noted.

Maestro Tigran Mansurian characterized this musical feast as rich and productive.

''I would especially like to highlight the first performances of the compositions, the premieres, among which Symphony 13 ''Babi Yar'' by Shostakovich and Orca Symphony by Serj Tankian, are the most notable. I would like to especially mention the visit of John Malkovich to Yerevan and his narration of Narekatsi in English. These events greatly enriched the festival as well. Sergey Smbatyan's work should be perceived within the frames of the highest estimate, because this was a festival of high artistic manifestations and at the same time a huge energy of organizing a complete festival and it was a result of work of mind requiring great attention,'' maestro Mansurian noted.

To remind, the 5th Khachaturian International Festival is held under the high patronage of the President of RA Serzh Sargsyan. It is implemented thanks to the joint efforts of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia (General Partner of the Orchestra – VivaCell-MTS), with the support of the Ministry of Culture of RA, the “Khachaturian” Foundation, European Foundation for Support of Culture.

You can watch the Gala Concert of the festival here .