Yerevan State Chamber Choir - Yerevan State Chamber Choir

ABOUT THE CHOIR

Founded by Harutyun Topikyan, Yerevan Chamber Choir has gained its unique place at the Armenian music community being recognised as a distinguished performing ensemble of Armenia.

The first tours of the Yerevan Chamber Choir started from the International Music Festival in Ravenna, Italy (1997).

Within the frameworks of “Armenian Cultural Days in Germany”, The Choir brilliantly presented Komitas’s restored liturgy as well as new pieces by T. Mansuryan in Bonn, Halle, Wittenberg and Magdeburg then in Syria and Lebanon (1998).

In 1999 Yerevan State Chamber Choir presented the premiere of composer Tigran Mansuryan's "Ars Poetica" concerto and records an album.

At the International Music Festival in Bergen (1999, Norway) world-famous musicians – violist Kim Kashkashian and saxophonist Jan Garbarek had performances together with Choir. Then the ensemble took part in the 30th Music Festival in Halle (2000, Germany). In the same year at the 3rd “Annual Armenian Music Awards” in Glendale (USA) the CD "Songs by Komitas Vardapet" which was recorded by Choir was granted the “Best Traditional Album award”.

WHO WE ARE?
Our Choir was founded in 1996 under the patronage of Catholicos Garegin I. Choir’s primary mission was to record and perform the entire choral heritage of Komitas. Later, until 2004 Choir was continuing its activities thanks to the patronage of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. In 2009 Choir received state status and was renamed Yerevan State Chamber Choir. The works by brilliant masters of Armenian choral music, including the works by Ed ․ Hovhannisyan, Ed. Mirzoyan, T. Mansuryan, Yerv. Yerkanyan, A. Harutyunyan, M. Vardazaryan, R. Amirkhanyan, V. Weiner, as well as the works by Western European composers have their unique place in YSCC’s repertoire.
WHAT WE DO?A lot of well-known pieces of work songs, peasant and soulful songs, wedding tunes, dances, have not been available to the public in recorded version for many years. The artistic director-conductor Harutyun Topikyan’s aspiration was the to recording and to preserve the choir's choral repertoire, popular as well as unperformed songs. Due to numerous years of work, the choir has already released five CDs, which include Komitas' entire choral heritage.
WHAT IMPORTANT TO KNOW?The Yerevan State Chamber Choir was the the first to perform a number of works by outstanding composers, including Tigran Mansuryan's "Ars Poetica" concerto, Thomas Buchholz's "Armenia Clamans" cantatas, "Aytenyan-Beom Liturgy" by Mkhitaryan Monastery of Vienna, Kara-Murza's "First Polyphonic Liturgy" and Komitas's "Berlin Liturgy". Of course, the core of the choir's repertoire is Komitas' choirs, but the choir also actively cooperates with young contemporary Armenian composers, performing their newly created choral songs. The unique elaborations of jazz standards and Armenian folk songs are not an exception.