Armenian Symphony Orchestra to Tour US for First Time
Posted on June. 7. 2024
NEW YORK — The Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, led by the Founding Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Sergey Smbatyan, is gearing up for its debut tour in the United States this summer with performances at three of America’s most prestigious concert halls. The orchestra will perform at Boston’s Symphony Hall on June 26; New York City’s Carnegie Hall on June 27; and Los Angeles Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall on June 29.
Performing extensively in its native Armenia and touring numerous countries around Asia and Europe, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra boasts a versatile repertoire that spans from all-time favorites and orchestral masterpieces of Armenian and global musical heritage to cutting-edge premieres of works by contemporary composers. The program for all three U.S. concert engagements will celebrate the legendary Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian (1903- 1978). Under the baton of Smbatyan and joined by featured soloist Sergey Khachatryan (violin), the orchestra will showcase Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto, along with pieces from ballet suites “Spartacus” and “Gayaneh.”
Sergey Smbatyan is an acclaimed cultural leader in Armenia and is increasingly in demand on the international stage. Not long after founding what is now the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra in 2005, Smbatyan’s conducting career was highlighted by his debut performance with the London Symphony Orchestra at Windsor Castle, under the auspices of Prince Charles, now King Charles III, followed by a subsequent invitation to conduct the Philharmonia Orchestra at Buckingham Palace. Smbatyan also serves as the principal conductor of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra as well.
He is a committed advocate for cultivating youth and supports several educational enterprises together with his orchestra. Among the initiatives designed and implemented by Smbatyan was the creation of the World Orchestra for Peace in 2015, in commemoration of the centenary of the Armenian Genocide. He has been recognized as a UNICEF National Ambassador since 2023.
Over the course of its almost two-decade history, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra has earned an international reputation for its orchestral virtuosity and has garnered sterling reviews for its overseas concert tours and numerous notable recordings. The orchestra performs a rich and diverse repertoire covering multiple genres and performance formats, ranging from symphonies to ballet and opera music to symphonic arrangements of popular and cinematic music, or jazz interpretations of classical music.
The orchestra will perform the music of legendary Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian.