By Konstantin Petrossian
Special to the Mirror-Spectator
YEREVAN — On May 11, at the Alexander Spendiaryan National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, musician Vahan Artsruni celebrated his 60th birthday and the 40th anniversary of his stage career, with a jubilee concert organized at the initiative of the National Opera Theatre by invitation of its director, Karen Durgaryan.
The evening featured as soloists, the musicians from Artsruni’s rock ensemble and Norayr Kartashyan’s folk group, while Artsruni’s 15-year-old daughter, Anais Artsruni, made her stage debut. The symphony orchestra of the Opera Theatre was conducted by Harutyun Arzumanyan.
The concept and structure of the program enabled the audience to trace all major periods of Artsruni’s creative evolution — from reinterpretations of Armenian sacred musical heritage to large-scale symphonic rock and epic symphonic compositions.
During the evening, audiences heard Artsruni’s interpretation of the hymns of Mesrop Mashtots, distinguished by its reimagining of ancient fifth-century spiritual material through the lens of contemporary sonic thought. Particularly impressive was the performance of Artsruni’s songs cycle Komitas: Ten Revelations based on the poetry of Komitas, in which the composer intertwines national melodic idioms with the expressive means of contemporary chamber music. The program also included songs set to the poetry of Razmik Davoyan, instrumental works in the progressive rock genre, as well as the compositions Ethnophonica, Inno Millennium, and The Call of the Wind that deliver an intense symphonic sound.
