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The Komitas Chamber Music House in Yerevan was filled with people, paintings, and the sounds of stringed instruments. It was the eve of the first concert of the Artsakh Chamber Orchestra, “revived from the ashes,” as artistic director and conductor Narek Hakhnazaryan later noted. Before the concert, guests were able to visit a charity exhibition of works by Armenian artists organized by the Artsakh Foundation. All funds raised will be donated to charity.

Narek Hakhnazaryan spoke about the difficult path of the orchestra’s revival. “It all started with a conversation with Hasmik Papyan, who shared the idea that there once was an Artsakh State Chamber Orchestra. These musicians had worked for 20 years, but now they were without work and home. We discussed this idea with the AGBU Foundation, which had supported the orchestra for many years, and came up with a plan for its revival. It's more like a phoenix that rose from the ashes. It's not exactly the same orchestra, but we are trying to restore traditions and preserve the symbol of Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] in culture."

Hakhnazaryan emphasized that the goal is not only the revival of musical tradition, but also the mission of preserving the Artsakh cultural identity. "This is our mission—to carry the symbol of Artsakh in music, in art, in history."

Initially, the orchestra had only 14 people, which is not enough for a full-fledged chamber orchestra. But in October, auditions were held, in which more than 40 musicians took part. "We settled on a composition of 17 talented guys. Many of them are young, have no experience playing in an orchestra, but have incredible talent and enthusiasm," Hakhnazaryan noted.

The program of the first concert was diverse and symbolic. According to Narek, it became a statement. "We are an Armenian orchestra, but we will not focus only on Armenian music. Our goal is not only to promote Armenian culture and composers, but also to reach the international level."

The concert featured works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Komitas. "Komitas is the heart of Armenian music, and we could not do without him," the conductor added.

The orchestra's plans include development and participation in international tours. "We are discussing tours to the US, Canada, and France. But the main thing now is the development of the group in musical terms. We focus on quality, not quantity," Hakhnazaryan emphasized.

The Artsakh Chamber Orchestra, as its artistic director noted, is not named after Artsakh by chance: "Artsakh is our history, our inseparable part. We do not pursue any political goals, but we strive to preserve the identity of Artsakh—at least in musical form."

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