YEREVAN. – The opening ceremony of the 5th “New Names” International Festival took place in the Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet after Alexander Spendiarian in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia.

At the opening of the event, young musicians performed with the State Chamber Orchestra of Armenia under the direction of Harutyun Arzumanyan.

The festival is hosting over forty talented young musicians under 18 years of age from Armenia, Russia, US, Germany, Japan, China, Australia, and Georgia. The participants of this festival are winners of national and international contests and festivals and recipients of various scholarships.

The festival is organized at 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 Mekinyan).

The 5th “New Names” festival will be held in Yerevan from Thursday to Sunday. This year’s festival is dedicated to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

The festival is held under the high patronage of First Lady of Armenia Rita Sargsyan and with the support of the Ministry of Culture, State Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia (Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Eduard Topchjan) and the State Chamber Orchestra of Armenia (Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Vahan Martirosyan).