About Festival
Organ music had its unique place and audience in the multi-genre musical life of Armenia.
his is evidenced by the famous Armenian organists and the presence of many organs in Yerevan and other cities of Armenia: Etchmiadzin, Charentsavan, Kapan, Gyumri. The first organ was installed in the Composers Union of Armenia in 1964, and despite its short history, the organ culture quickly flourished and became widely known abroad. Of course, all this, first of all, thanks to the efforts of Vahagn Stamboltsyan, the founder of Armenian organ school. In 1970, the organ of the Philharmonic Great Hall was opened, Vahagn Stamboltsyan and Lusine Zakaryan, Levon Abrahamyan and Gohar Gasparyan performed. Organists from Russia, the Baltic countries, Finland, Canada, France, the USA and other countries have given regular concerts in Armenia. Few people know that the famous French composer and organist Maurice Durufle also performed in Armenia in those years.
The installation of the organs was a stimulus for the creation of many works written for the organ by Armenian composers (Aram Khachatryan, Tigran Mansuryan, Avet Terteryan, Yervand Yerkanyan, Sergey Aghajanyan, Mikhail Kokzhaev, Eduard Hayrapetyan, Harutyun Dellayan, Stepan Shakaryan, Eduard Baghdasaryan, Arzas Voskanyan, Garegin Grigoryan, Kristapor Kushnaryan, David Gilanyan, Eduard Khaghvasotsyan, Melik Mavisakalyan, Mikael Tariverdiev, Levon Astvatatryan and others). Armenian organists performed with great success abroad, participated in international festivals and competitions. Vahagn Stamboltsyan himself was an expected jury member of international competitions. Organ festivals were also held in Armenia. Already in 1969, an organ festival dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Komitas was held. In 1979, the Komitas Chamber Music Hall Flentrop organ was installed. This very unique organ is created on the basis of the 17th-18th century organ models and has no analogs on the territory of the former USSR.