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The appreciation of the 10-year-activities of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia is evident from the fact that world-famous composer and conductor Krzysztof Penderecki agreed to visit Armenia to participate in the concert to mark the 10th anniversary of the orchestra, the principal conductor and artistic director of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia Sergey Smbatyan said in an interview with Panorama.am. 

“These ten years have been eventful,” he said, noting ‘the appreciation of the 10-year-activities of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia is evident from the fact that world-famous composer and conductor Krzysztof Penderecki agreed to visit Armenia so as to participate in the concert to mark the 10th anniversary of the orchestra. It is great success. I think the orchestra worked properly and based its activities on true values”.

“The main thing is that we have shaped a new tendency in Armenia – young men and women can speak about what they believe in.  The important thing is that we are a state orchestra and we represent the Armenian state abroad. This factor is significant abroad. Great interest is shown in our orchestra abroad. This bears evidence of quality. At each concert, the orchestra displays a new quality,” the conductor said.

When asked if there are works that Smbatyan would like to perform, but still “dares not approach”, the conductor replied: “There are many such works. That aspiration moves us forward. This year we will perform Penderecki’s ‘Seven Gates of Jerusalem’, Mahler’s works. There are works whose performance an orchestra and its conductor consider the most anticipated event. This is probably the vulnerable spot of an artist when he undertakes a task and fulfills it. This makes our life and constitutes the driving force in an artist’s life”.

In response to our request to name the most memorable concerts, S. Smbatyan recalled the concert held in the Berlin Concert House in 2007. “At the time the orchestra marked the first anniversary of its creation, but it received an ovation. I can recall every minute of that concert. I remember what I felt before I walked out on the stage. It was a crucial concert for the orchestra. Something changed in us. We realized that we can achieve success on the international arena thanks to our skills and ideas,” the conductor said.

S. Smbatyan has led the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia as its artistic director and principal conductor since 2005. The orchestra is made up of students of Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory. A year later the State Youth Orchestra became the official orchestra of Aram Khachaturyan International Contest, while in 2008 it was granted a state status for the high level of performance and deep understanding of modern directions in music.

The concert dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia will take place at Aram Khachaturyan Concert Hall on January 25.