The festive opening ceremony of the “New Names” 6th International Festival took place in the Komitas Chamber Music House in Yerevan. At the opening of the festival the young musicians performed with the State Chamber Orchestra of Armenia under the direction of Harutyun Arzumanyan and Alan Kirkop (Malta).
The festival will be held in Yerevan May 28 through May 31, 2016. The festival is organized upon the initiative of the “New Names” program in Armenia (coordinator, President of the Union of Workers of Culture, Honored Worker of Culture of the Republic of Armenia Silva Meqinyan).
The festival will be held under the high patronage of the First Lady of RA Rita Sargsyan and with the support of the RA Ministry of Culture, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia (artistic director and principal conductor Eduard Topchyan), and the State Chamber Orchestra of Armenia (artistic director and principal conductor Vahan Martirosyan).
The general partner of the festival is VivaCell-MTS.
“«New Names» festival is one of the most successful projects that we have ever supported. For another year in a row it serves as a unique umbrella under which talented children are gathered together to present their performing skills, to unfold their talent and, most importantly, to withstand a difficult exam before music-lovers and critiques. On behalf of VivaCell-MTS I wish the organizers and participants of the festival new creative heights in bringing the development of classical music, one of our national assets, to higher levels of quality, in order to support the harmonious development of our nation”, VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian said.
This year the representative festival hosts over 50 talented young musician-performers under 18 from Armenia, Russia, Germany, France, Malta, Korea, US, Canada, Bulgaria, and Georgia. The participants of the festival are winners of national and international festivals and are recipients of various scholarships.
In the frames of the festival a cultural program has been organized for the participants. They will get acquainted with Armenia, have a sightseeing tour around Yerevan, visit Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Lake Sevan, and other locations of interest in Armenia.