A full house and the magic of music: Armenia marks Sergei Prokofiev’s 135th birthday with a grand concert

Yerevan celebrated the 135th anniversary of Sergei Prokofiev, the great Russian and Soviet composer, pianist and conductor, with a grand concert, according to the Telegram channel of the Russian House in Armenia.

It was noted, the organizers of concert gave the audience an unforgettable encounter with the music of a genius.

“There are many of our partners here in this hall: rectors of universities, deputy rectors, department heads, school principals, deputy principals, teachers, and Russian language teachers, whom I would like to thank from this stage for your sincere support of the Russian language,” said Vadim Fefilov, head of the Russian House in Armenia, in his welcoming remarks.

The pinnacle of the evening was the legendary symphonic fairy tale Peter and the Wolf, performed by renowned violinist Karen Shahgaldyan. The piece has a tradition worldwide of being entrusted to true stars from Sting and Sharon Stone to Mikhail Gorbachev.

“And then Garik Martirosyan, a star of Comedy Club, walks onto the stage and says with a disarming smile: ‘I’m probably as good-looking as Sharon Stone and as musical as Sting.’ And the great Prokofiev’s masterpiece instantly comes to life in his vivid narration and the virtuoso performance of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra under Sergei Smbatyan, with Arutyun Arzumanyan conducting. The Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall was quite literally breathing music that evening. The audience of 1,300 simply would not stop the prolonged applause was the finest testament to the fact that Prokofiev’s music continues to bring peoples and generations together,” the Russian House wrote.

The general partner of the evening was Rossotrudnichestvo in Armenia.