In a few months, a number of Armenia’s most distinguished classical musicians are set to land in Malta, having been invited by the European Foundation for Support of Culture (EUFSC) to perform in the annual InClassica Malta International Music Festival, as well as the inaugural edition of the Malta Classical Music Academy, which shall both be taking place between the 17th of April and the 11th of May.
Talented Armenian exports, such as the award-winning violinist Sergey Khachatryan, shall be collaborating at the festival with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra (ASSO) under the baton of its founder, Artistic Director, and principal conductor, Sergey Smbatyan, to put on a veritable celebration of Armenian culture on the international stage. The soloist will be delivering his interpretation of Jean Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D minor on the 10th of May, with the same concert also set to see the ASSO’s rendition of famed Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian’s Symphony No. 2, also known as ‘The Bell Symphony’, which was completed in 1944 to mark the horrors brought about by the Second World War on the Armenian people.
Legendary pianists Martha Argerich and Grigory Sokolov shall also be making an appearance at InClassica, alongside an array of some of the most talented musicians and soloists working today, with figures like Rudolf Buchbinder, Daniel Hope, Gautier Capuçon, Danielle De Niese, Maxim Vengerov, Gidon Kremer, Denis Matsuev, Andreas Ottensammer, and many others, all travelling to the sunny Mediterranean island for this global celebration of classical music.
Additionally, working in collaboration with celebrated Italian conductor Gianluca Marciano, the ASSO shall also be taking on the role of Orchestra-in-Residence at the EUFSC’s “Classic Piano” Malta International Piano Competition, which will be taking place during InClassica as well.
This grand endeavour is the culmination of the organisation’s two-year-long ‘14 Ways to Malta’ piano competition, which spanned the globe with a series of competitions that were held in Austria, USA, China, Israel, Japan, Italy, South Korea, Switzerland, UK, Belgium, Russia, Armenia and Germany. The top five participants of each of these competitions were then invited to compete in this grand finale that shall bring together 70 distinguished performers from all over the world, who will test their musical abilities over the competition’s four rounds spanning a range of classical and contemporary music.
The pianist and conductor Nikita Mndoyants took note of the abundance of classical music events taking place throughout InClassica, observing that, “There’s going to be a complete conglomeration of classical music during these three weeks. I can barely believe it! It’s so rare for people to get the chance to not just attend a single music event, but to completely immerse themselves in this world for weeks on end, with concerts, competitions, and events around every corner. I’m truly looking forward to coming to Malta and breathing this atmosphere of classical music with a community of people who are as passionate about this world as myself. I have no doubt that it will be a glorious three weeks, both for all those that will attend, and for us performers.”
Meanwhile, Smbatyan himself shall also be conducting a host of world-renowned orchestras at the festival in addition to the ASSO, including the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra – with whom he also holds the position of principal conductor –, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, Deutsche StaatsphilharmonieRheinland-Pfalz, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
A host of celebrated Armenian musicians, like violinists Haik Kazazyan and ZohrabTadevosyan, and pianists Nikita Mndoyants and Stepan Simonian, have also been invited to Malta to deliver masterclasses at the Malta Classical Music Academy, which is gearing up to be one of the largest and most ambitious classical music academies in Europe.
Kazazyan expressed his eagerness at being able to travel to Malta and take part in the Academy, as he stated that, “I am so excited to be returning to Malta again this year. It is a wonderful place that I have already had the fortune of visiting a couple of times, and this time it will be even nicer because there is going to be both a huge festival with the participation of some of the world’s biggest classical music stars, as well as the Malta Classical Music Academy where musicians shall perform and conduct masterclasses. I think that all the students of the Academy shall find the time they spend there very useful and beneficial because they will be able to benefit both from the experience of the daytime and evening concerts as well as the chance to be taught by these stars. I would like to thank the EUFSC and its President, Konstantin Ishkhanov for inviting me to this event, and for organising these projects which have such a positive impact on the classical world.”
The project will feature three weeks of masterclasses and lectures in all, and shall include the participation of the Armenian masters as well as some of the most renowned names in the world of classical music education such as Pavel Gililov, Bernd Goetzke, Peter Donohoe, Ana Chumachenko, Zakhar Bron, Davide Alogna, and Giuliano Mazzoccante, amongst others. The famed Armenian violinist and pedagogue, ZohrabTadevosyan, marvelled at the stature of the individuals involved, noting that, “I am truly honoured that I have been invited to take part in an Academy alongside such illustrious figures. This event will truly be unlike any other, and the opportunity it shall provide to all those who wish to further their musical abilities will be quite unparalleled. The EUFSC and Konstantin Ishkhanov deserve all the praise they receive for making such an event possible, and I promise that I shall do my utmost to ensure that it will be a memorable and successful occasion for all”.
Konstantin Ishkhanov
In addition to the masterclasses, the Academy shall also incorporate a series of daytime concerts with the participation of a multitude of international musicians and orchestras, including illustrious soloists like Armenian violinist Karen Shakhgaldyan and duduk soloist KamoSeyranyan. These established musicians shall also be joined by a number of young virtuosi for a number of concerts that shall form part of a new initiative entitled Young Classical Music Stars. Most significantly, the most accomplished students within the Academy itself shall be given the opportunity to perform in these concerts and live out the experience of playing alongside established artists and orchestras in a professional concert setting.
“The European Foundation for Support of Culture has a long and beautiful history of collaborating with Armenia and the many talented musicians that this wonderful country can boast of, and I am extremely proud to be welcoming some of Armenia’s top classical musicians to Malta for our InClassica Music Festival, as well as the Malta Classical Music Academy. These events promise to deliver a truly grand celebration for all classical music lovers around the world, and I am certain that the musical talents and abilities of these wonderful musicians shall provide a welcome addition both to our festival and academy, as well as our piano competition, as they continue making Armenia’s name shine on the international stage.” – Konstantin Ishkhanov, President of the EUFSC.
All Academy students shall be given access to all the concerts that will be forming part of InClassica itself, and will also be awarded with an honorary diploma upon successful completion of the course.
For more information about InClassica, or to book, visit the official website here. For more information about the Malta Classical Music Academy, click here.
By Julian Francalanza
