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Young Armenian composer Hasmik Harutyunyan, residing in the United States, has concluded this summer with notable competition achievements. Hasmik received an invitation to participate in the "Monolith" International Online Competition-Festival, where she secured victories in 10 countries. The main aim of this competition is to support creative associations and individual musicians by providing opportunities to showcase and develop their talents in international festivals and competitions. The competition was held across 21 countries worldwide, with a record number of 3,684 participants this year. The judging panel consisted of world-renowned musicians, distinguished producers, and artists who evaluated the submitted works.

"The competition caught my attention because it is ranked among the top 5 competitions and festivals. Besides monetary awards, winners of this competition have the exclusive opportunity to participate in a gala concert of the winning compositions, with an official invitation in the winning country. I am proud to mention that I also received an official invitation as a composer who won the first prize in 10 countries," Hasmik stated in an interview with NEWS.am STYLE.

In all 10 countries, the Armenian-American composer was represented with children's and youth songs, performed by the Armen Divanyan Children's and Youth Ensemble (artistic director: Arpine Hovhannisyan).

The competition was evaluated according to the criteria for assessing compositional works in the "Composer" category of the competition-festival. These criteria are:

Musical originality and innovation

Technical skill

Artistic expression

Age appropriateness

Attractiveness and entertainment value

Educational value

Cultural diversity

Presentation and professionalism

Hasmik participated in the competition in Spain, France, Germany, the United States, England, Greece, Canada, Argentina, Australia, and Italy.

Speaking about her next steps, the composer notes: "I plan to continue working on new compositions, expanding my musical language and style, exploring new horizons, and creating interesting projects. I am currently collaborating with the AGBU Choir in Los Angeles (conductor: Nektar Mirakyan) in preparation for the major year-end concert in December, where my work 'Kilikia,' written for soloist and choir, will be performed. The text is by historian and philologist Ruben Grigoryan. At the same time, I plan to participate in new international festivals and competitions, continuing to present my work on a global stage. I must admit that winning the first prize was a great honor for me, as the competition was very strong. It is always challenging in such competitions, with many talented musicians and artists from all corners of the world participating. So, I believe this is a significant achievement."
                           

Syune Arakelyan

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