Arts Festivals Summit 2018 © Valentyna Demian
Sona Hovhannisyan is a general manager of the International music festival “Yerevan perspectives”. It should be reminded that the first meeting of the Eastern Partnership Countries Festivals Platform initiated by Ukrainian and Georgian EFFE Hubs will be held in Yerevan, on 3-4 October 2018.
Sona Hovhannisyan: Our festival has brought during last 20 years the most famous stars of classic music to Armenia and the region, at a whole. There have been Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and numerous performing art stars. In other words, it is a festival of the highest level. We have joined EFA membership 11 years ago. However, at the beginning we were not active, only last three years we have started to take part in general assemblies, summits. Obviously, it is an interesting platform for communicating with colleagues from Europe and beyond. Everyone could use it according to own fantasies, that is, inventing new projects with colleagues and gaining practical experience. Undoubtedly, it’s very interesting for festivals and a country because a festival is not only a cultural event, it’s important from political and practical view, in diplomatic and economic aspects, for many spheres of life, and communication on the level of Brussels or European Union is very important for such countries as Armenia or Ukraine. It has no lesser importance for proper European countries.
I wish the prosperity for all Ukrainian festivals and our fraternal country. Of course, it would be nice to think about deepening of collaboration in music sphere inviting your musicians to Armenia. I remember that we have welcome Ukrainian ensemble in 2000, the first year of our foundation. We have invited then “Kyivska kamerata” with Valeriy Matyukhin. It was the most exciting and the most important year when we have only started. Unfortunately, our cooperation didn’t continue from then. But I am very eager to have in our program Ukrainian musicians and Ukrainian music, Silvestrov and many other composers. And invite, please, Armenian musicians, let’s be friends by festivals! Good luck for you!