YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. "First Artsakh Festival" dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the Shushi liberation will be held in Nagorno Karabakh between September 11 to 15 on the initiative of the State Chamber Orchestra of Armenia. As Aram Gharabekian, the art director and conductor of the orchestra, said at the September 6 press conference, the best works of the Armenian and foreign composers will be performed during the festival. Within the framework of the festival, the chamber orchestra and the chorus will have concerts in Stepanakert, Shushi, Martakert, Gandzasar and in the village of Vank. And on September 15, the Artsakh State Chamber Chorus and the Orchestra as well as the military brass band will also take part in the gala-concert to be held in the Rebirth Square of Stepanakert. It was mentioned that the RA Ministry of Culture is the sponsor of the festival. Touching upon the current situation of the Armenian art of singing, A. Gharabekian said that there is a chaos in this field and there are no values. "When you listen to today's variety singers or to "stars" as they call themselves, then you notice that the concerts with their participation are like wedding parties", said A. Gharabekian. In his words, it is unacceptable that the A. Spendiarian Opera and Ballet National Academic Theater and the Aram Khachatrian concert hall are given to any singer, because "those stages are only for professionals".

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