· Classical
We dream that Armenia will become one of the most important cultural centers in the world
Armenian National Music's interview with the artistic director of the Ponte Musicale festival, conductor Gevorg Gharabekyan and the founder-president of the "QuarterTone" Cultural Non-Governmental Organization, composer Ruben Antonyan.
First of all, we would like to know how the idea of the festival came about.
Gevorg Gharabekyan – We Armenians have a lot of educated high-class musicians, but, unfortunately, many of them live abroad. After communicating with them I noticed that many of them want to be more active in Armenia, share their experience and spend time together in a professional and pleasant atmosphere. This is how the idea of the PONTE MUSICALE ("Musical Bridges") festival was born.
The main goal of the festival is to bring a breath of fresh air to the music life of Armenia by developing the historical performance practice, which is an integral part of culturally rich and developed countries, to support the development of Armenian contemporary music and, most importantly, to give young people a chance to receive new stimuli through communicating with highly professional people.
The Quarter Tone NGO has made a significant contribution to bringing the festival to life. We are working very effectively and professionally with its members. I greatly appreciate our cooperation with the Composers’ Union of Armenia, which provides the Edward Mirzoyan Composers’ Creative House in Dilijan for the festival and organizes its composers' competition together with us. Armenian National Music will also assist us in making high quality video recordings of the festival.
A chamber orchestra will be formed for the festival and consist of professional musicians from Armenia and abroad, as well as progressive Armenian students. As a result of the composers' competition to be held within the festival, three compositions will win and later be performed during the three concerts. The members of the jury are Tigran Mansuryan, Aram Satyan, Ashot Zohrabyan, Aram Hovhannisyan, Ruben Antonyan and I. There will also be masterclasses with invited musicians, as well as seminars on various current topics.
Ruben Antonyan – I’d been following Gevorg's activities for a long time and appreciated it very much, but I hadn’t met him in person. When I first received brief information about this initiative from my friend, composer Arsen Babajanyan, I immediately became greatly interested in this idea. When I got acquainted with Gevorg, I shared with him the activities and goals of our organization, Quarter Tone, which were also close to his goals and ideas. Then I also presented the idea of the festival to Aram Hovhannisyan and Sergey Umroyan, the other founders of the Quarter Tone NGO. They liked it as well and expressed readiness to implement it. Thus, we decided to organize the PONTE MUSICALE festival with joint efforts. At that time, being the head of the youth branch of the Composers’ Union of Armenia and simply a person who greatly appreciates the importance and role of this organization in our musical and cultural life, I suggested concentrating the festival in the Union’s Edward Mirzoyan Composers’ Creative House in Dilijan. It was interesting that Gevorg had the same idea. Finally, we presented the proposal to the President of the Composers' Union, Mr. Aram Satyan, who responded to our initiative very positively. I should also add that Gevorg Gharabekyan is currently a member of Quarter Tone. It is an honor for us to have such a member in our team. I hope we can come up with various initiatives together.
Would you please tell us how you chose the program and who are the musicians of the orchestra?
Gevorg Gharabekyan – The concert program builds a bridge between the music of the new and classical eras, as well as between European and Armenian music. Since I live in Switzerland and am familiar with the culture of this country, the first part of the concert will be featuring two Swiss works and the three winning pieces of the composers’ competition. The second part of the concert will be featuring works by Mozart and Haydn, which we’ll be performing using bows from the classical era, and the interpretation of the works will be based on the historical performance practice.
The concertmaster of the PONTE MUSICALE festival’s orchestra will be extraordinary musician Dmitry Smirnov, a 2nd prize winner of the ARD competition; wonderful musician Davit Abrahamyan will be leading our viola group, and the leader of our cello group will be Ekachai Maskulrat, one of the most sought-after cellists in Switzerland. We will also have brilliant musicians from Armenia, that is, everything necessary to achieve great results.
When do you plan to hold the festival?
Gevorg Gharabekyan – From July 3 to 8 the orchestra will be having rehearsals, seminars and masterclasses. The concerts will be held on July 8, 9 and 10 in Dilijan, Gyumri, and Yerevan.
Ruben Antonyan – "QuarterTone" is also organizing the "Crossroads: Days of Contemporary Music in Armenia” annual international festival, which we have implemented twice with the support of the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports. This year is an anniversary for the festival, as we are to hold it for the 5th time. So we have decided to make it a unique "crossroads" of the two festivals, where one of the PONTE MUSICALE orchestra’s concerts will be included in the "Crossroads: Days of Contemporary Music in Armenia” 5th international festival. This festival has become an expected event for the public that greatly appreciates contemporary academic music.
How do you imagine the future of PONTE MUSICALE?
Gevorg Gharabekyan – I have a big dream that Armenia will become one of the most important cultural centers in the world. For that purpose, a lot of work must be carried out to create long-term high-quality education and a professional atmosphere. My vision is to organize the PONTE MUSICALE festival for many years to come and to gain world recognition thanks to our zeal and pursuit of excellent quality.
Ruben Antonyan – I am convinced that such musical and cultural events with the involvement of high-level professionals and musicians are extremely important for the development of our country's music culture. I am hopeful that we will be able to organize this festival consistently, turning it into an annual event, and create real cultural values by raising and overcoming new problems every year.
First of all, we would like to know how the idea of the festival came about.
Gevorg Gharabekyan – We Armenians have a lot of educated high-class musicians, but, unfortunately, many of them live abroad. After communicating with them I noticed that many of them want to be more active in Armenia, share their experience and spend time together in a professional and pleasant atmosphere. This is how the idea of the PONTE MUSICALE ("Musical Bridges") festival was born.
The main goal of the festival is to bring a breath of fresh air to the music life of Armenia by developing the historical performance practice, which is an integral part of culturally rich and developed countries, to support the development of Armenian contemporary music and, most importantly, to give young people a chance to receive new stimuli through communicating with highly professional people.
The Quarter Tone NGO has made a significant contribution to bringing the festival to life. We are working very effectively and professionally with its members. I greatly appreciate our cooperation with the Composers’ Union of Armenia, which provides the Edward Mirzoyan Composers’ Creative House in Dilijan for the festival and organizes its composers' competition together with us. Armenian National Music will also assist us in making high quality video recordings of the festival.
A chamber orchestra will be formed for the festival and consist of professional musicians from Armenia and abroad, as well as progressive Armenian students. As a result of the composers' competition to be held within the festival, three compositions will win and later be performed during the three concerts. The members of the jury are Tigran Mansuryan, Aram Satyan, Ashot Zohrabyan, Aram Hovhannisyan, Ruben Antonyan and I. There will also be masterclasses with invited musicians, as well as seminars on various current topics.
Ruben Antonyan – I’d been following Gevorg's activities for a long time and appreciated it very much, but I hadn’t met him in person. When I first received brief information about this initiative from my friend, composer Arsen Babajanyan, I immediately became greatly interested in this idea. When I got acquainted with Gevorg, I shared with him the activities and goals of our organization, Quarter Tone, which were also close to his goals and ideas. Then I also presented the idea of the festival to Aram Hovhannisyan and Sergey Umroyan, the other founders of the Quarter Tone NGO. They liked it as well and expressed readiness to implement it. Thus, we decided to organize the PONTE MUSICALE festival with joint efforts. At that time, being the head of the youth branch of the Composers’ Union of Armenia and simply a person who greatly appreciates the importance and role of this organization in our musical and cultural life, I suggested concentrating the festival in the Union’s Edward Mirzoyan Composers’ Creative House in Dilijan. It was interesting that Gevorg had the same idea. Finally, we presented the proposal to the President of the Composers' Union, Mr. Aram Satyan, who responded to our initiative very positively. I should also add that Gevorg Gharabekyan is currently a member of Quarter Tone. It is an honor for us to have such a member in our team. I hope we can come up with various initiatives together.
Would you please tell us how you chose the program and who are the musicians of the orchestra?
Gevorg Gharabekyan – The concert program builds a bridge between the music of the new and classical eras, as well as between European and Armenian music. Since I live in Switzerland and am familiar with the culture of this country, the first part of the concert will be featuring two Swiss works and the three winning pieces of the composers’ competition. The second part of the concert will be featuring works by Mozart and Haydn, which we’ll be performing using bows from the classical era, and the interpretation of the works will be based on the historical performance practice.
The concertmaster of the PONTE MUSICALE festival’s orchestra will be extraordinary musician Dmitry Smirnov, a 2nd prize winner of the ARD competition; wonderful musician Davit Abrahamyan will be leading our viola group, and the leader of our cello group will be Ekachai Maskulrat, one of the most sought-after cellists in Switzerland. We will also have brilliant musicians from Armenia, that is, everything necessary to achieve great results.
When do you plan to hold the festival?
Gevorg Gharabekyan – From July 3 to 8 the orchestra will be having rehearsals, seminars and masterclasses. The concerts will be held on July 8, 9 and 10 in Dilijan, Gyumri, and Yerevan.
Ruben Antonyan – "QuarterTone" is also organizing the "Crossroads: Days of Contemporary Music in Armenia” annual international festival, which we have implemented twice with the support of the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports. This year is an anniversary for the festival, as we are to hold it for the 5th time. So we have decided to make it a unique "crossroads" of the two festivals, where one of the PONTE MUSICALE orchestra’s concerts will be included in the "Crossroads: Days of Contemporary Music in Armenia” 5th international festival. This festival has become an expected event for the public that greatly appreciates contemporary academic music.
How do you imagine the future of PONTE MUSICALE?
Gevorg Gharabekyan – I have a big dream that Armenia will become one of the most important cultural centers in the world. For that purpose, a lot of work must be carried out to create long-term high-quality education and a professional atmosphere. My vision is to organize the PONTE MUSICALE festival for many years to come and to gain world recognition thanks to our zeal and pursuit of excellent quality.
Ruben Antonyan – I am convinced that such musical and cultural events with the involvement of high-level professionals and musicians are extremely important for the development of our country's music culture. I am hopeful that we will be able to organize this festival consistently, turning it into an annual event, and create real cultural values by raising and overcoming new problems every year.
