The new children's play "Are You Angry?" by the National Theater


To be angry or not to be angry? After all, the one who gets angry loses a lot. Two fairy tales in one play, united by one theme: "Anger." The premiere of the stage adaptation of Hovhannes Tumanyan's "Master and Servant" and Hans Christian Andersen's "The Old Man Knows His Business" fairy tales was presented at the Sos Sargsyan National Theater on September 9. Ingenious, beautiful design, inspiring music, fairy-tale lighting, brilliant acting, active participation of children in the theatrical action. The director of the play, Narine Grigoryan, and actor Gagik Madoyan were hosted by art critic Anahit Margaryan at the "Artfocus" pavilion.

The Museum of Literature and Art Today


Museums are the most important centers of our culture and education, where our historical memory, important events, facts, and evidence of our national identity are stored and presented. The museum with the largest collection in Armenia is the Yeghishe Charents Museum of Literature and Art, which houses about two million exhibits. What does the museum offer to visitors and is this offer in demand? What changes have occurred in the museum in recent years and what programs will be implemented in the near future? The guest of art critic Anahit Margaryan in “Artfocus” is Syuzanna Khojamiryan, director of the Charents Museum of Literature and Art.

The Idea of ​​the Mother Goddess from Paganism to Christianity


On September 21, the Museum of the History of Armenia opened the international exhibition entitled "Mother deity: From Anahit to Mariam", where the head and hand preserved from the bronze statue of the goddess Anahit kept in the British Museum were exhibited for the first time in Armenia. More than 60 exhibits from the collection of the History Museum of Armenia were also presented at the exhibition, which symbolize the idea of ​​the Mother Goddess, from paganism to Christianity, from stone to metal, clay and thread. The director of the History Museum of Armenia Davit Poghosyan and art critic Anahit Margaryan talked about the exhibition and the changes taking place in the Museum of History in "Artfocus" in recent years.

 

Archival documents and photographs


"Parisian Meetings" at Komitas Museum-Institute
 
The Komitas Museum-Institute presents the temporary exhibition "Parisian Meetings" dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Margarit Babayan, a pianist, singer, musicologist, public figure, a close friend of Komitas Vardapet, where about 150 archival documents and photos from the Museum of Literature and Art, 4 paintings: From the collection of the National Gallery of Armenia, documents and photographs from the Komitas Museum-Institute, as well as from the Lalua family archive. Curator, museologist, scientific secretary of the Museum of Literature and Art Marine Haroyan told Anahit Margaryan about the features of the exhibition and curatorial work in "Artfocus".

 

International Flute Festival will be held in Yerevan


On October 26-30, the "First Yerevan International Flute Festival" will be held in "Arno Babajanyan" concert hall, during which concerts, master classes, lectures will be held. The details of the upcoming events at the festival were presented by Vardan Virabyan, the founder of the "Flute Bridges" international project, artistic director of the festival, and Narek Avagyan, soloist and flutist concertmaster of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia, at the "Artfocus" booth.

 

How to form a listener of classical music?


What difficulties did Hrachuhi Basent overcome for international recognition?
 
At the 16th Yerevan International Music Festival, the works of Richard Strauss were performed in the Aram Khachatryan concert hall. Opera singer Hrachuhi Basents and pianist Helmut Deutsch performed. In a conversation with Anahit Margaryan in "Artfocus", Hrachuhi Basent presented how she was received in the West and what difficulties she overcame on the way to gaining international recognition. The singer referred to the experience of general education institutions in forming listeners of classical music in the West.

 

NAS Art Institute is celebrating its 80th anniversary


In which direction is the art institute developing today? Is there a generational shift among art critics? To what extent is the art institute redefining its function? On these issues, Anahit Margaryan talked with the director of the NAS Art Institute, Doctor of Arts, Professor Anna Asatryan in "Artfocus".

 

With the youth opera program, singers enter the international arena


The youth opera program has been operating in the Spendiaryan Opera and Ballet Theater for about eight years, thanks to which a number of talented, purposeful young singers who are reaching greater heights have sailed into the world musical ocean. What and how did the history of the youth program begin? How does the program operating in Armenia differ from the youth opera programs operating in other countries? Besides vocal, what do they learn in the program? Anahit Margaryan talked to the youth opera program of Spendiaryan Opera and Ballet Theater, with manager Levon Zavadyan and soloist of the program Arpi Sinanyan.

A ballet with music by Charles Aznavour and Michel Legrand was presented


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.

Veraciousness: His Grace Bishop Gevorg Saroyan speaks on this


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 Textbooks


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".

The newly elected rector presented the problems of the State Academy of Fine Arts


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".