11:56, 3 August 2022
YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. The first edition of the Symphonic Yerevan International Music Festival will take place in the Armenian capital of Yerevan between the 12th and 25th of August 2022.
Organised by the European Foundation for Support of Culture, in collaboration with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, and in partnership with the Armenian State Philharmonia and Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall, the Municipality of Yerevan and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, this inaugural edition will see no fewer than 17 internationally-acclaimed soloists and ensembles from around the world taking to the stage of three of Armenia’s most illustrious venues – the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall, Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall and Komitas Museum-Institute. Together with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra – the festival’s Orchestra-in-Residence – who shall be led by a number of distinguished international conductors, they will be interpreting works from a variety of historic and contemporary European and international composers, including various pieces from the pens of Armenian masters.
This first edition of Symphonic Yerevan shall boast no fewer than 14 recitals and symphonic and chamber concerts, which shall be held in three of the city’s most celebrated venues – the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall, the Komitas Museum-Institute, and the Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall.
The first of these concerts shall be taking place on the 12th of the month, and will present a duo recital by bassoonist Nikolay Poghosyan (Armenia) and pianist Anahit Dilbaryan (Armenia). This will be followed by a second duo recital on the 13th featuring another two pianists – Armine Grigoryan (Armenia) and Sona Barseghyan (Armenia) – which will in turn precede a third duo recital, this time showcasing the talents of flautist Gevorg Avetisyan (Armenia) and pianist Anahit Dilbaryan (Armenia).
For the fourth concert of the festival, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra shall be taking to the stage, led by Dutch conductor Daniel Raiskin, and accompanied by the Italian violinist Giovanni Zanon. Then, for the 16th of August, Raiskin will be making an appearance once again, this time to conduct the string section of the ASSO in a chamber concert featuring the clarinettist Fabrizio Meloni (Italy). The 17th will witness another duo recital with cellist Sevak Avanesyan (Armenia) and pianist Sona Barseghyan (Armenia), before the ASSO takes centrestage under Raiskin’s baton once more in a symphonic concert alongside Saleem Ashkar (Israel/Palestine).
Symphonic Yerevan’s 8th concert on the 19th of August shall be a special affair, headlined by the acclaimed Aram Khachaturian Trio, while the following entry on the 20th shall see the ASSO, this time led by Hungarian maestro Gergely Madaras, accompanying cellist Brannon Cho (USA) and flautist Noemi Gyori (Hungary). Raiskin and the string section of the ASSO shall return once again on the 21st, in a chamber concert with Belgian violinist Marc Bouchkov, before Madaras takes the reins of the orchestra once more for a symphonic concert with Italian pianist Vanessa Benelli Mosell on the 22nd.
The final three concerts of Symphonic Yerevan will kick off with a chamber concert featuring Raiskin and the string section of the ASSO in a special collaboration with Chinese guitarist Xuefei Yang, which will be followed by Russian pianist Nikita Mndoyants in a solo recital. Finally, for the festival’s closing concert, the ASSO’s Founder, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Sergey Smbatyan will be leading the orchestra himself, which will team up with Chinese-US violinist Nancy Zhou in a grand event at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall.