President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, accompanied by his wife Nune Sarkissian, went to Gyumri to see the State Symphonic Orchestra perform in a concert dedicated to the 25th anniversary of their formation. As the President and his wife entered the hall, the audience began to clap and gave them a standing ovation. It is understandable that this was due to the President’s immense love for Gyumri, as well as his frequent visits and publicity.
Armen Sarkissian told reporters, “Today is not any regular day. If we were to go back only 30 years to the time right after the earthquake, over half of this city no longer existed and many people had died. However, 4-5 years later, the people of Gyumri decided that they needed to have an orchestra. Only unique people can do something like that, people have strong will, and people who are resilient and dedicated. Many people become depressed after tragedies like that, but the people of Gyumri decided that they have to reach Mount Olympus.”
The President said that this was the first time he heard a live performance of the orchestra. He had only heard recordings of it beforehand. Besides being the anniversary of the orchestra’s founding, it was also a beautiful day for Sarkissian’s family, since they were in Gyumri about an hour and a half after the work day had ended and enjoyed a nice day with one another.
President Armen Sarkissian also spoke about the necessity of having a concert hall in Gyumri and about the necessity of renovating the Gyumri theater.
