Cultural excitement as Kapan holds the traditional international music festival

KAPAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS. July 4 marked the beginning of the annual international music festival held in Kapan. For a second year now, the festival united Armenian and foreign musicians together in bringing classical and jazz music to the regional center of Syunik. 

According to "Armenpress", from July 4 to 18, the festival packed an eventful program: from daily concerts to master classes with young musicians. The concerts were held in the organ hall of the Kapan State College of Arts after V. Stamboltsyan. Around 40 talented young musicians from Armenia and children from Kapan interested in music participated in the master classes.

Among the professional musicians participating in the festival for the first time this year were pianist Julien Lieber from Belgium, Ellie Sun from the United Kingdom, cellist Denis Severin from Switzerland, double bassist Nazareth Kyurkchyan from Spain, cellist Mikayel Hakhnazaryan from Germany, musician Marius Preda from Hungary, organist Irina Rozanova from Russia, jazz musician Arthur Satyan and others. Famous musicians Hayk Ghazazyan, Marianna Shirinyan, Hayk Melikyan, Anna Sarkisova, Liana Aleksanyan, Andrey Gridchuk, Hrachya Avanesyan, Narek Avagyan, Tigran Suchyan, Armen Karamyan and others who had participated in the festival before, also gave impressive performances. 

According to Sevak Avanesyan, famous Belgian-Armenian cellist and founder of the Kapan International Music Festival, the regional center of Syunik is a newly discovered cultural diamond. 

"Our festival is unique for a number of reasons. First of all, it was initiated and implemented by musicians themselves. We would like to see similar initiatives in other regions of Armenia, so that high art can be made accessible to the public and so that young and talented musicians have more opportunities to develop their skills and be recognized,” said Avanesyan. 

His coworker, festival participant Armen Karamyan also highlighted the musical event. Karamyan had also found recognition in the music world. After graduating from the conservatory in 1985, he moved to his native region of Syunik and began working as a piano teacher at the music college in Kapan, significantly contributing to the active concert life there. According to his colleagues, his commitment and boundless passion for music are proof of his devotion to the art.

"Since the Kapan State College of Arts hall has great acoustics, we decided to put it to good use. We realized its potential 2 years ago, when I and Sevak Avanesyan played for the 30th anniversary of the “Red Cross”. This year’s festival was a great improvement in both quality and quantity. We have a wonderful audience. Festivals like this are a great source of inspiration. If we want to look at this in the long term, the results will only show themselves in a few years. We are using all the resources at our disposal to make this festival a reality. Sevak’s role is immeasurable. His energy and dedication are infectious,” said Karamyan. 

The festival also hosted an exclusive exhibition of five 18th-century “Stradivarius” and “Guarneri del Gesù” violins, which were brought to Kapan by word-famous master Florian Leonard. Such an exhibition was held in Armenia for the first time. According to Gevorg Parsyan, head of Kapan community, events of this magnitude are extremely important for Kapan, as it is renowned for its culture, and festivals like this provide it with an excellent opportunity to showcase itself to the world, to welcome other cultures, to gain recognition and most importantly, to educate itself. 

"The educational component of the festival provides a unique opportunity for local musicians and students to learn from the best in their field, to enrich and develop their professional knowledge and to establish new connections and collaboration opportunities," said Parsyan. 

The sponsors of the Kapan International Music Festival are the local municipality, the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine, the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the "Karas Wines" company, the ARARAT museum of the Yerevan brandy factory, the Swiss VIWA organization, the Syunik Governor's Office, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Armenia, the Amaras Art Alliance, the Washington branch of the Hamazkayin organization, and a number of benefactors who supported the festival's organizational work. 

The director of the sustainable development department of the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine, one of the main sponsors, Armen Stepanyan, noted that for a second year in a row, the public is witnessing a truly great cultural holiday. 

"Our Combine is happy to sponsor the event, and our support perfectly fits into the context of our social policy, as culture is one of the most important components of social life and a foundational pillar of sustainable development. It’s impossible to imagine a healthy future without it. We are glad that our support aids in turning the festival into a tradition. The organization, the festival itself and the closing ceremony were all impressive and memorable. A fully packed hall motivates the musicians even more. It was hard to imagine that we would see more people on the closing day than on the opening day. This just proves again that the festival is a well-established phenomenon," said Stepanyan. 

The Kapan International Music Festival concluded on July 18 with a concert by the world-famous Hungarian group "Roby Lakatos and Friends", preceded by around thirty students from various music schools in Kapan receiving monetary awards and scholarships from Miaseen.org and MG Concerts organizations.