YEREVAN. – The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan delivered a speech at the solemn opening ceremony of the project presentation of the Komitas museum-institute, presidential press service informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“Komitas Vardapet [teacher] was everything for the Armenians: the composer, ethnographer, teacher and conductor. His personality and works were compared to many eminent people. He is the Mashtots [creator of the Armenian alphabet] of the Armenian song and music. There is no identity of Armenia without Komitas or Mashtots.

Komitas has left enormous heritage and we consider it logical to set up a museum-institute.

I believe that the Komitas museum-institute will become a serious center for both Armenian and foreign researchers. Komitas has revealed a whole civilization of songs, which even we, the Armenians, should admit that we have not yet digested it full and have not make it the property of the world music adorers. Komitas did not die physically in 1915 [the Armenian Genocide] but the world and Armenians lost him that very year. I believe, to honor the memory of all the martyrs of the Genocide and especially Komitas, we may build a church of St Martyrs,” the President claimed.