October 23, 2009 - 18:02 AMT
Return festival to organize final concert on October 24
On October 24, Yerevan Chamber Music House will host the sixth final classical music concert within the frameworks of Return festival.

Audience will have the chance to listen to Vahagn Papyan (Israel) and State Youth Chamber Orchestra (conductor: Sergey Smbatyan).

Graduate of Moscow Conservatory (instructor: Prof. Mikhail Voskresensky), Vahagn Papyan started his career as pianist, after successful performance in Viana Da Mota international piano contest in Lisbon (1979). In 1982, he entered St. Petersburg Conservatory, Conducting Department (instructor: Prof. Ilya Musin). In 1984, Valery Gergiev invited Papyan as second conductor in Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Three years later, he became art director and chief conductor. In 2003, Vahagn Papyan was invoted to Moscow to conduct New Russian Symphonic Orchestra. Since 2006, he has been Art Director of Ashdodsk Symphonic Orchestra, Israel.

Sergey Smbatyan - violinist and conductor -was born in 1987 in Yerevan. He is a laureate of international violinists' contests of Bucharest (2001), Kishinev (2004), Tokyo (2004) and Grand-Prix holder in San Remo (Italy, 2001). Currently Smbatyan is a third year student in Yerevan State Conservatory (instructors: B. Vardanyan, violin, Yu. Davtyan, conducting). He studies violin under professors S. Kravchenko (Russia), Z. Bron (Switzerland). G. Zhislin (violin), R. Ricci (Italy) and conducting art under Yu. Davtyan (Armenia) and V. Spivakov. Smbatyan has given violin concerts with Rostov and Yekaterinburg Philharmonic Orchestras, Republic of Bashkortostan National Symphonic Orchestra and Israel Youth Orchestra. He has also performed tour concerts in England, Austria, Italy, Israel, Egypt, Lebanon and Switzerland. Currently, Smbatyan conducts Yerevan State Conservatory's Youth Orchestra.

Return festival is aimed at drawing Armenians' attention to problems of repatriation, demonstrating recent achievements of qualified musicians, encouraging and promoting development of creative ideas and contemporary Armenian musicians' works and generating demand for contemporary classical music.

Opening of third classical music festival was held on October 22.

Return classical music festival organized by Art Galletry under the high patronage of RA First Lady Rita Sargsyan (financial sponsor: VivaCell-MTS).