ARMENIAN GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE DAY

The Thessaloniki Concert Hall and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra commemorate the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day (24^th April) with a concert dedicated to Armenia. The TSSO joins forces with the distinguished Armenian pianist Hayk Melikyan and the internationally acclaimed Greek soprano Siranous Tsalikian, under the baton of French conductor Philippe Forget, a long-standing collaborator of the orchestra.
The programme opens with the Piano Concerto by Aram Khachaturian, the most important Armenian composer, a work characterized by the composer’s profound love for Armenia. Drawing inspiration from folk songs and traditional melodies of his homeland, Khachaturian expresses and highlights Armenian musical tradition through rhythmic and harmonic combinations that evoke a warm, Eastern music color.
Light from the Cross by Christos Hatzis, a work based on Armenian liturgical hymns of the Holy Week, is dedicated to soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, the singer for whom it was written. The composer’s intention was to create an oratorio based on the Passion of Jesus and his aim is a reflection on the theme of the Crucifixion — which inspired him from the outset — as well as on its significance for the present and future of the world.

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PROGRAMME

A. Khachaturian: Piano Concerto in D-flat major, Op. 38
Chr. Hatzis                  Light from the Cross
                                    For Armenian soprano and orchestra

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