Internationally recognized French-Armenian conductor Alain Altinoglu will conduct the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time. As “Armenpress” reports, the concert entitled “I Remember and Demand” will be held on 3 April at the Alexander Spendiaryan National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet with performances of the works of Wagner and Ravel.

“My teachers are the students of Ravel’s students. Since I was born in France and the world is celebrating Ravel’s birthday anniversary, I will also be performing the Spanish Rhapsody and Dapnis and Kyole Suite N 2,” Alain Altinoglu mentioned during a press conference. The musician’s ancestors were Armenians of Constantinople who were forced to change their last name from Altunian to Altinoglu in 1934. Altinoglu informed that conductor of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra Eduard Topchyan heard about him for the first time during concerts in Chicago many years ago.

During the press conference, Eduard Topchyan mentioned: “I was surprised at how we had not had any contact with quite experienced musician, and an Armenian musician at that. Alexander Chaushyan assigned me to invite Alain Altinoglu to Armenia.” Cellist Alexander Chaushyan will perform SenSans’s Concerto for the Cello as a guest solo performer. Alain Altinoglu, who will be performing in Yerevan for the first time, is always a guest performer at the prestigious opera houses around the world. He has performed at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, Lyric Opera in Chicago, the Staatsoper in Vienna, the Opernhaus in Zurich and other famous opera houses.