Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra at Symphony Hall in Boston

Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra

The Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra will appear at Symphony Hall in Boston on Tuesday, November 21 at 8 p.m. as part of its North American tour.

The orchestra, under the direction of Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Eduard Topchjan, will pay tribute to composers Aram Khachaturian and Sergei Rachmaninoff to mark the respective 120th and 150th anniversaries of the births of these composers.  

Selections from Khachaturian’s Spartacus Ballet Suites and the magnificent Symphony No. 2 by
Rachmaninoff will open and end the evening’s program. Distinguished Armenian-American pianist Sergei Babayan will join the orchestra in a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, one of the most iconic and challenging pieces in the piano repertoire. Babayan, who will be making his Boston debut as soloist with an orchestra, has been described as an “unstoppably volcanic force” (International Piano Magazine) and a “magician of the piano sound” (Die Rheinpfalz). Babayan’s much-anticipated appearance is sure to attract the city’s music aficionados and piano enthusiasts.  

As the concert is underwritten by generous donors and sponsoring organizations, funds from the sale of tickets – available only through the Symphony Hall Box Office – will support the humanitarian needs of the displaced people of Artsakh.

The benefit concert is being planned under the leadership of the Pan Armenian Council of New England and YerazArt Foundation in partnership with the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Armenian Relief Society, Tekeyan Cultural Association and Friends of Armenian Culture Society, together with our community parishes and organizations.

“We believe in the power of unity and the positive impact we can make together,” comments Dr. Shant Parseghian, concert chair and founder of the Pan Armenian Council of New England. “By presenting the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra, we wish to bring recognition to Armenia’s exceptional musicians and their lasting contributions while shining a light on the resilience of the people of Armenia and Artsakh.”

Established in 1925 by Arshak Adamyan and Alexander Spendiaryan, the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra is an international treasure with an illustrious history as one of the leading orchestras of the former Soviet Union. Its upcoming performances in New York’s Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall and Montreal’s Le Maison Symphonique present a unique opportunity to showcase Armenia’s rich musical heritage.

Tickets are available in person at the Symphony Hall Box, by calling 617-266-1200, or online.




Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS