The 16th Armenian Composing Art Festival to Be Held in February

From February 8 to 24, the 16th Armenian Composing Art Festival will take place in Yerevan. Organized by the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, the festival's main goal is to showcase the works of Armenian classical and contemporary composers to a broad audience. It also

focuses on recording, filming, digitizing, and preserving the symphonic and chamber works of Armenian composers. Through this initiative, the festival also features works by young Armenian composers.

It is noteworthy that the works of Armenian classical and contemporary composers are performed not only by Armenian, but also by renowned international soloists and conductors, who subsequently include these compositions in their repertoires. Also, as part of the festival, the works of Armenian composers are digitized, recorded, and filmed, then showcased on international media platforms, reaching a global audience.

The 16th Armenian Composing Art Festival will kick off with two world premieres. On February 8, the contemporary composer Vache Sharafyan's Sinfonia No. 4 "SHNORHALI, the prayerful", will be performed for the first time. This work has been written on the occasion of the 850th anniversary of the repose of St. Nerses Shnorhali, Patriarch of All Armenians, and the rededication of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. The opening concert will also feature the premiere of the Piano Concerto by another contemporary composer, Kristina Arakelyan, with the composer herself as the soloist. The concert will also include excerpts from Edgar Hovhannisyan's "Marmar" Suite.

The concert on February 17 will celebrate the 95th anniversary of composer Gagik Hovunts. The program will feature works by Gagik Hovunts, Arthur Aharonian, and Arpine Kalinina. Pianist Jean-Paul Gasparian and soprano Shoushik Barsoumian will perform as soloists.

On February 18, the newly formed Armenian Brass Quintet will take the stage. The concert will include compositions by Armenian composers Alexander Arutiunian, Aram Khachaturian, Konstantin Petrosyan, Petros Shoujounian, Nubar Aslanyan, and Andranik Berberyan.

On February 24, a special concert will feature the Armenian premiere of Michel Legrand's Piano Concerto, performed by Japanese pianist Rieko Tsuchida and the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra. The program will also include the 4th Symphony by the renowned composer Vardan Adjemian. The festival concerts will be conducted by conductors June-Sung Park, Alexander Humala, and Gianluca Marcianò.

The strategic partner of the festival is Team Telecom Armenia.

The Armenian Composing Art Festival is one of the most significant cultural events in Armenia. Since its founding in 2010, it has consistently focused on preserving and promoting the traditions of the Armenian classical and contemporary compositional school, while broadening their recognition.