RESULTS OF THE 2022 ANNIVERSARY YEAR

The year 2022 was full of many events and projects for the CUA. The year was significant, as the 90th anniversary of the founding of the CUA was coming to an end, and the next congress was to take place at the end of the year.

The 2022 anniversary events began in February with the “12 Sounds” educational program, coordinated by the head of the CUA Youth Forum, Lilit Artemyan. Over the course of the year, more than a dozen music and art schools presented works by young Armenian composers and new composing technologies of the 20th century.

In March, The 13th Armenian Composing Art Festival took place, the partner of which, after a long break, was the CUA, thanks to which the list also included works by composers representing the CUA Youth Forum. Looking ahead, we note that later a cooperation agreement was signed between CUA and the State Symphony Orchestra of Armenia, which will be aimed at developing the Armenian art of composition.

On May 10-13, the 9th Annual Republican Competition Of Young Composers Named After Edward Mirzoyan was held, in which 15 young composers of Armenian nationality, including from Georgia and the Islamic Republic of Iran, were eligible to participate. At the gala concert held on May 13, by decision of the jury, Alex Gevorgyan and Liana Ulikhanyan were recognized as winners.

However, before the start of the competition, the CUA concert hall was renovated for the first time in the last 40 years, and Saryan’s panel, after some restoration work, began to shine with natural colors. A few months before the renovation, the hall’s lobby was also renovated.

And so, on May 19, in the renovated concert hall, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Armenia, an anniversary festival dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the founding of CUA started. For the first time, our hall was illuminated with the help of new and modern lighting equipment, and also for the first time in the history of the Festival Of Contemporary Armenian Music, a regional orchestra was involved – the Vanadzor State Chamber Orchestra. The beginning of the festival was announced with a joint performance of musicians of the Yerevan State Chamber Choir and the work “Sardarapat” by Edgar Hovhannisyan.

On May 23, jointly with the Academy of Arts and Sciences, anniversary events were held dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of musicologist Margarita Brutyan.

According to the established good tradition, on the eve of the International Children’s Rights Day, May 30, a concert of works written for children by Armenian composers took place in the CUA concert hall, in which more than a dozen gifted students from music and art schools in Yerevan took part. The concert ended with a performance by the Arevik ensemble.

The second concert of the Anniversary Festival took place in June. During the concert entitled “Premier Evening,” 7 symphonic works by contemporary Armenian composers were presented, first performed by the State Symphony Orchestra of Armenia (conducted by Ruben Asatryan).

So, on June 23rd in Ashtarak, at the Music School after A. Ayvazyan, a joint concert of young composer laureates after Edward Mirzoyan Compoetition took place.

CUA has always emphasized the need to hold concerts in the regions, within which 7 concerts were held in Syunik and Tavush regions in July-August. The format of the concert “Music of Peace and Hope,” held in collaboration with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, was interactive, and the authors themselves performed their works. In addition to the concerts held in the border settlements of the Republic of Armenia (Khndzoresk, Tegh, Shinuhayr, Karahunj, as well as Paravakar, Nerkin Karmiraghpyur, Chinari), the project was also implemented in Artsakh, in the cities of Stepanakert, Martuni, Chartar and Agavno. Unfortunately, the concert organized by the CUA was the last major project before the village was captured by the neighboring country.

The start of the autumn part of the festival, announced earlier in September, was postponed due to hostilities unleashed by Azerbaijan on the border of the Republic of Armenia. On September 20, the first concert of the second period of the festival took place with the participation of the Yerevan State Chamber Choir, and two days later, on September 22, the 4th concert of the festival took place with the participation of the State Orchestra of Armenia.

On September 24, as part of the “European Days in Armenia” initiative, a concert of young Armenian composers was held in collaboration with the Aram Khachatryan House-Museum.

On October 4 and 8, two concerts were held at the CUA Concert Hall as part of the Anniversary Festival. First, on October 4, chamber orchestral works of Armenian composers were presented, performed by the Vanadzor State Chamber Orchestra, and on October 8: chamber works.

On October 7, at the “Eritasardakan” station of the Yerevan metro after K. Demirchyan, in collaboration with the MESCS RA, the Yerevan Metropolitain and the National Archives of Armenia, an exhibition of archival materials dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the founding of CUA was opened, at which information about the creation of the administrative building of CUA was presented and the construction of the House of Creativity of Composers after E. Mirzoyan in Dilijan. Valuable historical documents, archival photographs and other interesting materials were also presented. The exhibition lasted about 2 months.

On October 9, with the participation of the State Chamber Orchestra of Armenia (conductor – Ruben Asatryan), the final concert of the composition competition, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the CUA, took place. The format of the competition was different in that the top five were formed by a joint decision of the jury, spectators and orchestra. The top three participants in the competition were formed in the following order: Karen Ananyan, Eduard Hayrapetyan, Jirayr Shahrimanyan.

So, the anniversary festival ended on October 12, symphonic works by Edgar Hovhannisyan, John Ter-Tadevosyan, Aram Satunts, Avetis Berberyan, Narine Zarifyan were performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia in the Aram Khachatryan Concert Hall. During the concert evening, Narine Avetisyan, Knarik Pilosyan, Gohar Shagoyan, Gevorg Hovhannisyan, David Aladzhyan, Jenny Asatryan, Avetis Berberyan were awarded gold medals from the MESCS RA. It should be noted that during the entire festival, among other works, 25 premieres were presented; leading musical groups and soloists of Armenia took part in the festival.

On October 15, the next concert of the Organ Music Festival took place in the CUA concert hall in partnership with the CUA. CUA member, composer, organist Hovhannes Manukyan performed at the concert.

On October 30, the 16th CUA Congress of Armenian Composers took place, at which 3 candidates were nominated for the post of CUA Chairman: acting Chairman Aram Satyan, as well as composers Aram Hovhannisyan and Avetis Berberyan. The latter also announced his resignation on the day of the congress, and the votes between the two candidates were distributed as follows. Aram Satyan: 56 votes, Aram Hovhannisyan: 30 votes. Another 4 ballots were declared invalid. On the day of the congress, a new Board was elected, and at the proposal of the re-elected chairman, on the day of the congress, the first decision was made to ban the sale of the House of Composers’ Creativity in Dilijan, and therefore neither the Chairman of CUA nor the board have the right to sell it unless they vote for it more than 90 percent of the union’s members.

From November 18, CUA members began to receive annual financial support at the proposal of CUA Chairman Aram Satyan and with the approval of the CUA Council, the list included members over 80 years of age, as well as socially vulnerable CUA members.

On November 28, at the Komitas House of Chamber Music, together with the ancient music ensemble “Tagharan”, an anniversary concert was held dedicated to the 85th anniversary of composers Harutyun Dellalyan and David Sakoyan.

On December 1 and 2, the 15th scientific session of young Armenian art historians, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the founding of the CUA, was held in the session hall of the Institute of History of the NAS RA and the session hall of the Institute of Arts of the NAS RA.

In December, the CUA administrative building was heated for the first time in 30 years. The first stage included the administrative part of the building (premises on the 2nd floor of the building, corridor) and a security post.

Well, the guest house and most of the cottages in Dilijan have been renovated.

… Still to come.