Beirut, October 8, 2018, – On October 5, 2018, the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Garo Avessian, presented a concert at the St. Joseph Church, in Ashrafieh, featuring guest pianist Karen Hakobyan, from New York. This very unique cultural event was sponsored by Haigazian University.
The Concert program included a rich selection of International and Armenian music by renowned composers, Johann Strauss, Antonin Dvorak and Aram Khatchaturian.
With a heightened sense of pride, the capacity audience was listening to the dynamic performance of the Armenian-American piano soloist and composer Karen Hakobyan, skillfully playing Aram Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto in D-flat major, op. 38. Hakobyan further enchanted the audience by dedicating his encore, Armenian composer Arno Babajanian’s “Elegy”, to the memory of the late French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour.
Through this cultural collaboration with the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, Haigazian University fulfilled part of its mission as an acclaimed institution of higher learning, that of contributing to the “refinement of the mind, the language, the behavior, and eventually the soul of the human being”, as stated by University President, Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian.
Karen Hakobyan is a top prizewinner of multiple international piano and composition competitions, whereas, Maestro Garo Avessian, in addition to his many honors and awards, was the First & Grand Prize Winner of the 14th Danube International Conducting Masterclass & Competition in August 2018.
Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director