This year marks the 80th anniversary of Armenian jazz and the annual Yerevan Jazz Festival 2018 is dedicated to composer, People’s Artist of Armenia Artemi Ayvazyan who is founder of the Armenian State Jazz Orchestra.

As the ministry of culture reports, on the occasion of the jubilee anniversary, number programmes, festival, and concerts as well as film screenings are planned throughout the year.
The festival will launch on November 7 with a joint concert of jazz trumpeter, pianist Arturo Sandoval and Armenian State Jazz Orchestra. The final concert of the festival will be played by the State Jazz Orchestra.

To note, the first jazz band in Armenia was formed in 1936 by composer Tsolak Vardazaryan. The Armenian State Jazz Orchestra was founded in 1938 by the composer Artemi Ayvazyan which was the first in the Soviet Union.