The participants of the “We Sing Komitas” Pan-Armenian Festival visited Lori province. The festival is organized by the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

Before leaving for Lori, the participants visited Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex where they paid tribute to the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide and visited the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute.

The first stop in Lori province was the middle school in Vardablur village where the guests were greeted with salt and bread.

At the school, the schoolchildren had organized an event devoted to the life and career of Komitas Vardapet. They performed Komitas’s songs and were joined by Armenian choirs and individual performers from various countries.

Deputy Governor of Lori province Tigran Badoyan and Head of the Department of Culture and Sport of the regional governor’s office of Lori province Aram Revazyan were attending the event.

In the evening, the participants of the “We Sing Komitas” Festival performed at Shara Talyan Music School N 1 of Vanadzor.

The concert began with a performance of the song “Hoy Nazan, Im Nazani” by the Nerses Shnorhali Choir of Tbilisi.

The song “Seven Songs for the Piano” was performed by pianist Sona Talyan from Frankfurt, followed by performances of Komitas’s songs by Tamara Bezludova from Estonia (“Yerkinkn Ampel a”), Tatevik Gevorgyan from Rostov-na-Don (“Krunk”), Shoghig Torosian from Lebanon (“Antuni”), Sosseh Grigorian from Israel (“Alagyaz”) and Lilit Davtyan from Yerevan (“Lullaby”).

Canon player Narek Kazazyan from Vanadzor performed the song “Garun A”.

Members of the “Vaspurik” Theater of Marionettes of Yerevan presented the play “Series of Folk Songs”.

Swedish singer Ann-Christine Vilund received warm rounds of applause for her performances of Komitas’s songs.

The song “Chinar Es” was performed by the “Aghbyur” (Source) Choir of the Alexander Mantashov Educational, Cultural and Youth Center of the Georgian-Armenian Diocese in Batumi.

Armavir Dance Ensemble of Krasnodar performed the “Dance of Vagharshapat”.

The “Bells” Choir of Chaldr village in the Myasnikyan District of Rostov (Russian Federation) performed the song “Arnem Yertam En Sare”, and the Surp Grigor Lusavorich Choir of Vladikavkaz performed the song “Shogher Jan”.

The Chamber Choir of Vanadzor Municipality also performed during the event.

In the end, representative of the regional governor’s office of Lori province Mher Melikyan gave a welcome speech in which he attached importance to the initiative of the RA Ministry of Diaspora and expressed gratitude for organizing such a wonderful event in Vanadzor and presenting the people to the art of Komitas once again.

In the end, the Chamber Choir of Vanadzor Municipality and canon player Narek Kazazyan received certificates of the RA Ministry of Diaspora for participating in the “We Sing Komitas” Pan-Armenian Festival.

On September 27, the participants of the festival visited Zvartnots temple and later Etchmiadzin. They also toured the Shoghakat Monastery and the Mother Cathedral.

On September 27 at 21:00, the grand closing ceremony and gala concert of the Pan-Armenian Cultural Festival organized by the RA Ministry of Diaspora will be held at Komitas Chamber Music Hall.