President Serzh Sargsyan today received world famous Polish composer and conductor Krzysztof Penderecki and his wife, Elzhbieta Penderecka. The renowned musician is in Armenia to participate in the festival dedicated to his 85^th birth anniversary.

Greeting the guests, the President of the Republic noted that he is always glad to host them in Armenia where Krzysztof Penderecki and his wife are loved and recognized.

“Dear Mr. Penderecki, Maestro,

I am certain that you are convinced that here the people love you and your art. What is symbolic is the fact that the events dedicated to your birth anniversary, which will be held in different countries of the world throughout the year, are starting right from Yerevan. I believe one of the callings of a great artist is to bring nations closer together and strengthen the friendship among them, and you do it very well,” President Sargsyan said and voiced hope that, from now on, Maestro Penderecki will continue to strengthen the Armenian-Polish friendship with the same vigor and dedication, providing Armenian audiences with the opportunity to receive great satisfaction from the works of one of the great musicians of our times.

With satisfaction, Serzh Sargsyan stated that last year, Armenia and Poland marked the 25^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 650^th anniversary of the establishment of the Armenian community in Poland, holding several events and further strengthening the interstate relations between Armenia and Poland.

Expressing gratitude to the President for the reception and kind words, Krzysztof Penderecki noted that he was very glad to see that his music is highly popular in Armenia.

“I am very glad that the festival dedicated to my anniversary is being launched in Armenia. This is not the first time that such wonderful festivals are being hosted in Yerevan. The level of musical performance of orchestras, conductors and musicians is truly at a very high level in Armenia. It is a great joy and pleasure for me, my wife and our family to be in Armenia. I must highlight the fact that I personally feel one-quarter Armenian since my grandmother is of Armenian descent,” Krzysztof Penderecki said and expressed gratitude for organizing the festival at a high level and for showing such an attitude towards culture at the state level in Armenia.