YEREVAN, OCTOBER 13, ARMENPRESS: Artsakh welcomed world famous Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballé with great joy and delight. She held a number of meetings in Artsakh, talks, toured in Stepanakert. The singer’s meeting with NKR President Bako Sahakyan is also planned, NKR President’s Press Secretary Davit Babayan told Armenpress.

“On October 14, Montserrat Caballé’s exclusive concert dedicated to 20th anniversary of establishment of the ceasefire regime in Artsakh will be held at Stepanakert’s Renaissance Square. A meeting with Bako Sahakyan will also be held. The fact that international stars like Montserrat Caballé fall in love with Artsakh and express wish to return, is very important,” said Davit Babayan.

In Sayat Nova Music College of Stepanakert the singer will give master classes to young opera singers of Artsakh.

Montserrat Caballé visited Artsakh in 2013 as well, ignoring the Azerbaijani hysteria. On 2013 June 5 she visited Gandzasar and Shushi, familiarized herself with the medieval Armenian architectural art. The singer did not hide her admiration and explained her interest in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic by abundance of Armenian Christian monuments. She gave a concert in Stepanakert on June 6, and on December 12, presentation of her album “Armenia and Artsakh: Christian Islet” took place.

Montserrat Caballé is a Spanish operatic soprano. She has sung a wide variety of roles, but is best known as an exponent of the bel canto repertoire, notably the works of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi. She came to the attention of a much wider audience in 1988 when she sang with rock-star Freddie Mercury of Queen the song featuring her home city "Barcelona", later a theme song for the 1992 Summer Olympics in that city. She is also UN Honorary Ambassador and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.