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April 14, 2011
Sofia Chamber Orchestra's First Spring Concert is Multicultural
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AGBU Sofia Chamber Orchestra and Maestro Bedros Papazian. -
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From l to r: former Amb. of Armenia to Bulgaria H. Dachtoyan, current Amb. of Armenia to Bulgaria, A. Sahoyan, Amb. of Lebanon to Bulgaria, M. Abi Samra, and chairwoman of AGBU Sofia, S. Avakian-Bedrosian.
AGBU Sofia Chamber Orchestra's first concert of the spring 2011 season took place on March 13 at the concert hall of the National Music Academy Pancho Vladigerov, under the honorary patronage of Micheline Abi Samra, Ambassador of the Republic of Lebanon to Bulgaria. The evening began with opening remarks that welcomed the Lebanese ambassador and Arsen Sahoyan, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Bulgaria.
The musical cultures of three different peoples - Armenian, Lebanese and Bulgarian – were presented during this extraordinary concert. On the program were numerous and varied works, headed by the world premiere of "Musica Meditativa," performed by the Sofia Brass Quintet and AGBU Sofia Chamber Orchestra. This impressive and evocative work was written by Velislav Zaimov, chairman of the Bulgarian Composers Union, and received financial support from AGBU Sofia Board member Emil Mechikian.
The Sofia Brass Quintet is comprised of Ivan Minkov and Rumen Levordashki (trumpet), Alexander Borisov-Von Apen (zug trombone), Julian Boyadjiev (tuba) and Julia Spassova (horn). Also appearing on the program were special guest soloists from Lebanon, Fadi Rachid (guitar) and Shadi Esber (oud). In addition to works by traditional Lebanese music composers, the soloists performed pieces by Bulgarian composer Rossen Balkanski and Armenian composer Alexander Spendiaryan.
At the end of the concert, Sonia Avakian-Bedrosian, chairwoman of AGBU Sofia, thanked Ambassador Abi Samra for her patronage and congratulated Ambassador Sahoyan on his new position. She also thanked the Cultural Department of the Sofia Municipality for their continuous support of the orchestra, and congratulated all the musicians and Maestro Bedros Papazian on their high level of professionalism. Bedrosian expressed her gratitude and admiration for the two soloists of the evening, Fadi Rachid and Shadi Esber, and congratulated them on their contribution to the development of Armenian culture in Bulgaria. She informed guests that all upcoming concerts in 2011 would be dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the independence of Armenia.
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