A concert dedicated to the 170th anniversary of Russian famous composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and the 145th anniversary of the renowned businessman and philanthropist Calouste Gulbenkian took place on November 27 at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall.

The soloist was young and talented cellist Philip Higham. Described by The Strad in 2012 as having “all the qualities of a world-class artist”, Philip Higham is among the leading young cellists emerging from the UK.

Philip Higham has won numerous prizes at major international competitions including 1st Prize in the 2008 Bach Leipzig and 2009 Lutoslawski Competitions.

During the evening the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia presented the following concert program: Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten for String Orchestra and Bell by Arvo Pärt (Armenian premiere), Cello Symphony by Benjamin Britten, soloist: Philip Higham (cello/ UK), Symphonic Poem “Scheherazade” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

Sergey Smbatyan, the artistic director and principal conductor of the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia, said that the Khachaturian Festival is characterized by numerous world and Armenian premieres: “ Me and my friends often wonder how many compositions have not been performed in Armenia yet. I think it is a great achievement for the Youth Orchestra to present such pieces here, in Armenia. It is a professional achievement for the Orchestra itself. The live broadcast of all our concerts gives the listeners from the different corners of the world an opportunity to follow this new trend in Armenia – performance of contemporary pieces, which are widely known and loved among connoisseurs of musical art.”