The artists at the Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet named after Alexander Spendiaryan protesting the theater director’s dismissal are at the moment satisfied with the outcomes of a meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, conductor Harutyun Arzumanyan told reporters outside the government HQ.

The Opera House staff gathered outside the government building on Monday morning to protest the 28 March decision of Acting Minister of Culture Nazeni Gharibyan on firing Director General of the theater Constantine Orbelian and to demand the minister’s resignation for ‘disrespect’ towards culture and cultural figures and her decisions contradicting the law.

Gharibyan justified her decision with the fact that Orbelian, who is also the theater’s artistic director, cannot hold both offices simultaneously by law.

Arzumanyan, who met with the PM together with six other artists of the Opera House earlier on Monday, says Pashinyan has guaranteed that no one will assume the theater director’s duties, except for the Opera House’s deputy director until the theater staff receives arguments of the ministry over Orbelian’s dismissal, after which they will submit their counterarguments.

The PM vowed that if the dismissal order of the ministry turns to be unlawful, those responsible will be immediately fired, the conductor said.

He also added the acting culture minister was not present at the meeting.

Orbelian, a three-time Grammy-nominated conductor, was appointed Artistic Director of the Yerevan Opera Theater in 2016. A year later, he also started serving as General Director of the theater.