On September 28 and 29, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra performed in two renowned Parisian concert halls, Salle Gaveau and the Cité de la Musique at the Paris Philharmonic, showcasing an exquisite program featuring works by Armenian and French composers.
The first concert took place on September 28, under the direction of the orchestra’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Sergey Smbatyan and the participation of renowned pianists Louis Lortie and Hélène Merciere. The program featured the works of Claude Debussy, Francis Poulenc and Edvard Mirzoyan. The concert program for September 28 can be viewed here. The main partner of the concert was AKNEYE.
“Paris holds a significant place on the world’s cultural map, and having our tickets sold out well in advance was a remarkable achievement for us. These performances were especially important as it had been quite some time since we last toured France. It is essential that this collaboration continues, so that we not only speak about the relationship between our countries but also take concrete steps to strengthen it,” said Sergey Smbatyan, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, reflecting on the Paris concert tour.
On the second day of the tour, September 29, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Sergey Smbatyan, performed their debut concert at the Cité de la Musique concert hall of the Paris Philharmonic, with tickets sold out well in advance. The program featured some of Aram Khachaturian’s most renowned works. French-Armenian cellist Astrig Siranossian joined the orchestra as the soloist. The concert program for September 29 can be viewed here.
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“We view it as our mission to perform the works of Armenian composers during all our tours. I believe these concerts enabled the audience in Paris to gain a deeper appreciation of our culture. A significant achievement would be for the world to recognize Armenian composers through our orchestra,” added Sergey Smbatyan.
The concert tour was supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in France, AGBU France, and the Aram Khachaturian Cultural Foundation.
Photos from the concert can be viewed here.
Coverage by the Public TV Company of Armenia can be viewed here.
ARMENIAN STATE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Armenian State Symphony Orchestra emerged from a group of devout enthusiasts of classical music with the shared vision of championing spiritual excellence through music and upholding the musical traditions of their native Armenia. Reputed to have a finely distinct quality of sound and emotionally charged performance style, the orchestra has long become an awaited guest in leading concert halls at home and overseas. The orchestra performs over 50 concerts in Armenia and across the world annually. The rich and diverse repertoire of the orchestra covers multiple genres and performance formats, ranging from symphonies to ballet and opera music to symphonic arrangements of popular and cinematic music and jazz interpretations of classical music․
Under the guidance of its Founding Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Sergey Smbatyan, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra has established four annual classical music festivals, bringing to Armenia a multitude of renowned virtuoso performers and conductors from around the world. The orchestra also fosters enriching collaborations with prominent contemporary composers.
Envisioning a meaningful dialogue between classical music and modern technologies, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra is profiled as a tech-driven and innovative orchestra, embracing bold experimentation with AI and other digital solutions in its artistic endeavors. The orchestra has a growing input in the education of young people in Armenia, implementing educational programs that strive to incite curiosity, understanding and liking for classical music among school and university students and cultivate them as classical music audiences.
With a committed awareness of its social responsibility, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra ensures the cultural engagement of vulnerable social groups by regularly issuing invitations and making available complimentary attendances to the orchestra’s performances, along with holding charity concerts for fundraising purposes.
