World renowned musician, People’s Artist of the USSR Vladimir Spivakov’s upcoming visit to Armenia in November pretends to become one of the most significant cultural events in Armenia this year. The renowned musician and the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra will be arriving in Armenia on the sidelines of the Aram Khachaturian International Festival. Their first concert is scheduled to be held at Aram Khachaturian Large Concert Hall on November 10, and the second one will be held at the Dramatic Theater in Gyumri on November 11. “The concert in Yerevan will be dedicated to the memory of founder of the Chamber Orchestra of Armenia Zareh Sahakyants,” Aram Khachaturian Cultural Foundation’s executive director Anna Ter-Hovakimyan mentioned in an interview with ArmenPress.

According to Ter-Hovakimyan, the upcoming concerts will include interesting performances by wonderful solo performers. “Pianist Alexander Romanovsky will be returning to Armenia with Vladimir Spivakov after his performance with the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia on October 17,” Ter-Hovakimyan said. Ter-Hovakimyan informed that the concert in Gyumri will be a charity concert and is due to maestro Spivakov’s special attitude towards Gyumri. “I think the concerts will be anticipated,” the executive director of Aram Khachaturian Cultural Foundation said.

Spivakov’s Russian Philharmonic Orchestra will give a classical music concert on November 10 with performances by Alexander Romanovsky (piano, Ukraine/Italy), Vasilia Ladyuza (baritone, Russia), Julieta Galstyan (mezzo-soprano, Switzerland) and Gevorg Hakobyan (baritone, Armenia).

In 1988, Vladimir Spivakov found out about the Spitak Earthquake and traveled to Gyumri to give concerts. In 2008, his “Virtuosos of Moscow” Chamber Orchestra visited Gyumri 20 years after the earthquake.

The touching part of several top Russian TV films about Spivakov is that during one of his concerts in Gyumri following the earthquake, Spivakov received a gobelin carpet with the picture of a clown prepared by a child who had become a victim of the devastating earthquake. In 1998, the renowned conductor received another carpet as a gift, and this time it was made by a child who was born on the day of the earthquake (December 7^th) and whose parents had died on that day.

Spivakov’s wife, actress, host Sati (Satenik) Spivakov, who is also the daughter of renowned violinist Zareh Sahakyants, strongly links Spivakov to Armenia.