In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra, the renowned Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of renowned conductor Valery Gergiev, performed an exclusive concert in Yerevan.

RA Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan, ESCS Deputy Minister Daniel Danielyan, and representatives of executive and legislative authorities attended the event.

The concert featured the “Festive Overture” by Harutyunyan, the “Violin Concerto No. 1” by Shostakovich performed by virtuoso violinist Pavel Milyukov, and the Symphony No. 4 by Mahler with the participation of soprano Anna Denisova.

After a 37-year hiatus on October 2, the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra will perform again at Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall under the direction of Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Valery Gergiev. The program will feature the symphonic suite “Scheherazade” by Rimsky-Korsakov, “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Mussorgsky, and “Bolero” by Ravel.

Valery Gergiev is one of the most distinguished conductors of our time and has enduring ties to Armenia. Among his many awards and honours, received from different countries around the world, Valery Gergiev was awarded the Order of Saint Mesrop Mashtots for his outstanding contribution to the advancement of Armenian-Russian cultural ties (2009). In Valery Gergiev's career, the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra was the first orchestra to have the maestro appointed as its principal conductor and artistic director, a position he held from 1981-1985. He is still the only non-Armenian conductor in the orchestra's history. During those years, after winning the Herbert von Karajan Competition in Berlin and the All-Union Conductors Competition in Moscow, the young conductor was invited to lead the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra, which was greatly facilitated by Edvard Mirzoyan, president of the Union of Composers of Armenia in those years. Starting from 1977, he also served as assistant to Temirkanov, the principal conductor of the Kirov Theatre (now the Mariinsky), and in 1988, he was appointed music director of the Mariinsky Theatre. Valery Gergiev is currently the Artistic Director and General Director of the Mariinsky Theatre and the General Director of the Bolshoi Theatre.

During his years in Armenia, along with European and Russian classics, Valery Gergiev often conducted performances of works by Armenian classical and contemporary composers, including Khachaturian, Spendiaryan, Babajanyan, Mirzoyan, Saryan, Terteryan, and Khaghoghagortsyan. He has performed with prominent Armenian soloists Ruben Aharonyan, Svetlana Navasardyan, Lusine Zakaryan and others. Even during his tenure as director of the Mariinsky Theatre, he continued collaboration with such Armenian artists as Gegham Grigoryan, Hasmik Grigoryan, Gevorg Hakobyan, Sergey Khachatryan, Narek Hakhnazaryan and many others.