On 4 July, the annual Kapan International Music Festival commenced. This marks the second year that the Festival has brought together distinguished musicians from Armenia and abroad, providing an opportunity to enjoy classical and jazz music in Kapan, Syunik region.
From 4 to 18 July, the Festival features a vast program that includes daily concerts, workshops, and master classes with young musicians. The concerts are held at the Organ Hall of the V. Stamboltsyan Kapan State Arts College. Around 40 talented young musicians from Armenia as well as Kapan children involved in music, participate in the master classes. The best students will receive cash prizes and scholarships provided by Miaseen.org and MG Concerts.
Among the new names of professional musicians participating this year are pianist Julien Libeer from Belgium, violinist Elly Suh from the United Kingdom, cellist Denis Severin from Switzerland, double bassist Nazaret Kiurkchian from Spain, cellist Mikael Hakhnazaryan from Germany, musician Marius Preda from Hungary, organist Irina Rozanova from Russia, jazz musician Arthur Satyan, and others. The Festival also features performances and master classes by renowned musicians who have been actively involved since the Festival’s inception last year, including Hayk Kazazyan, Marianna Shirinyan, Hayk Melikyan, Anna Sarkisova, Liana Aleksanyan, Andrey Gridchuk, Hrachya Avanesyan, Narek Avagyan, Tigran Suchyan, and others.
From 4 to 8 July, the Festival hosted an exclusive exhibition of five 18th-century violins, including Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesù, brought to Kapan by the world-famous violin maker Florian Leonhard. It is noteworthy that this is the first time such an exhibition has been organized in Armenia.
The Kapan International Music Festival will conclude on 18 July with a closing concert featuring the world-known Hungarian band Roby Lakatos and Friends and the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra.
According to Sevak Avanesyan, founder of the Kapan International Music Festival and Belgian-Armenian cellist, “Kapan is truly a cultural gem, and its discovery is now a reality. Our Festival is unique in many ways, primarily because it was initiated and is implemented by musicians themselves. We hope to see similar initiatives in other regions of Armenia, making high art accessible to our society and providing recognition and development opportunities for young talents.”
Supporters of the Kapan International Music Festival include the Kapan Municipality, Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Karas Wines, the ARARAT Museum of the Yerevan Brandy Company, the Swiss organization VIWA, the Syunik Regional Administration, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Armenia, Amaras Art Alliance, the Washington branch of the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, and several benefactors who have generously supported the organization of the festival.
