Valery Gergiev to conduct Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra after 37-year break

The Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra (ANPO) will mark its 100th anniversary with two major concerts at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall, featuring world-renowned conductor Valery Gergiev.

On October 1, the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, under Gergiev’s direction, will perform Harutyunyan’s Festive Overture, Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with soloist Pavel Milyukov and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with soprano Anna Denisova, ANPO reported.

At the second concert on October 2, Gergiev will once again lead the ANPO, 37 years after his tenure as its artistic director and chief conductor (1981–1985) in a program featuring Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Ravel’s Boléro.

Gergiev has deep ties to Armenia. Awarded the Mesrop Mashtots Order in 2009 for his role in strengthening Armenian-Russian cultural relations, he has frequently championed works by Armenian composers Khachaturian, Spendiaryan, Mirzoyan and others. During his career, he has collaborated with leading Armenian soloists, including Ruben Aharonyan, Lusine Zakaryan and later Gegham and Hasmik Grigoryan, Sergey Khachatryan and Narek Hakhnazaryan.