Director Suren Ter-Grigoryan

On the initiative of the "Ballet 2021" foundation, the ballets "La Bohème" and "Cherburgian Umbrellas" based on the music of Charles Aznavour and Michel Legrand were presented in the sports concert complex. The author of the script and the stage choreographer was the folk artist Rudolph Kharatyan. Lilit Petrosyan, director of "Ballet 2021" Foundation, told "Artfocus" about the activities of the foundation and the experience of staging and selling independent performances in Armenia.

Why is veraciousness considered a virtue, does speech have power and does it imply responsibility? By what mechanisms can the church protect the truth? How to discern the truth in our changing times? These and other questions are discussed by His Grace Bishop Gevorg Saroyan.

New 6th, 8th and 10th grade art textbooks are being printed

 

Until 2021, arts subjects were taught up to seventh grade. According to the decision of the government, the textbooks and approaches of art subjects of public schools have been changed. During the 2024-25 academic year, the Ministry of Education and Culture will introduce new textbooks for the 6th, 8th and 10th grades in public schools. The books will be published by "Zangak" publishing house. Anahit Margaryan talked with the authors of the new textbooks, musicologists Artur Avenosov and Tatevik Shakhkulyan, in "Artfocus".

What are the cracks of the State Academy of Fine Arts and what is its development perspective? In May, Vardan Azatyan, a professor of art, was elected as the rector of the academy. He is an art critic, historian, theoretician, has been teaching at the academy for more than 20 years, and has also lectured at foreign universities. In 2014, he founded the Institute of Humanitarian Studies named after Ashot Hovhannisyan. Anahit Margaryan discussed the future of the academy with the new rector in "Artfocus".

Pianist Levon Karapetyan is in his homeland

 

Pianist Levon Karapetyan is a laureate of national and international competitions. Having become blind at the age of 6, he accepted the challenge of fate and graduated from A. Hekimyan and A. Spendaryan Music schools. Then he studied at the Yerevan State Conservatory named after Komitas, received bachelor's and master's degrees, improved in Strasbourg. He regularly performs in solo concerts and accompanied by symphony orchestras. After a long absence, Levon is in his homeland.

The focus of attention of Armenian film writers has almost always been on the genre of war cinematography. Many of the figures of Armenian cinema went to the front, took part in military operations, in order to make more realistic films. The continuation of this tradition is the young director Arman Ayvazyan who lives next to us today. His film "Stone" tells about a group of volunteers who risk their lives to enter Kashatagh days before the deadline for the handover of Artsakh territories to search for and save the Armenian khachkars from destruction. The film won the Silver Apricot at the Golden Apricot Festival in 2023. And the other day, the closed screening of Arman Ayvazyan's new film took place. Anahit Margaryan spoke with the director about films, war, documentary in "Artfocus".

What values ​​is truthfulness based on, does speech have power and does it imply responsibility? Is it easy to be truthful in today's virtual life? These and other questions are addressed by Proto Archimandrite Shahe Ananyan. 

Metal art works, silverware, stone art, ceramics, micro-sculptures, 350 carpets and rugs are displayed in the Hovhannes Sharambeyan Museum of Folk Arts. The collection of Armenian decorative and applied arts housed in the museum includes almost 12,000 exhibits. The 45-year-old museum is active. Anahit Margrayan discussed educational programs and cooperation with folk art masters on the "Artfocus" program with museum director Lusine Toroyan.

The iconography of the epic Davit of Sassoon was published, based on the Tumanyan elaboration of the epic. It is presented for the first time in graphic novel format. The publisher is "Number 405" company, the artist is Tigran Mangasaryan, the producer is Narek Van Ashughattoyan. In "Artfocus", the director of "Number 405" company, presenter Gohar Gasparyan and the author of the illustration text, literary critic Ani Yeghiazaryan presented the content of the comic and the history of its creation. The program was hosted by Anahit Margaryan.