Asbarez: Festival in Vienna Canceled After Controversial Exclusion of Artsakh

Following weeks of controversy over the abrupt exclusion of two Artsakh Armenian ensembles, organizers of an international cultural festival, which was scheduled to take place in Vienna later this month, announced that the event was canceled.

The World Festival Association (WOFA), the festival organizers, had invited “We Are Our Mountains” State Song and Dance Ensemble and the State Orchestra of Artsakh National Instruments to take part in the event, through the Artsakh Cultural Preservation Center.

On October 21, the Artsakh Cultural Preservation Center announced that WOFA was reneging the invitation, citing objections from several embassies, which had warned the group that the ensembles were engaged in separatist activities.

In correspondence shared on social media and published by Asbarez at the time, the Artsakh Cultural Preservation Center had rejected the allegations and emphasized that performing traditional Artsakh music and dance constitutes cultural _expression_ rather than political activity.

The Artsakh Cultural Preservation Center asked WOFA to identify the embassies that had objected to the ensembles’ participation and provide documentary evidence of the allegations.

While WOFA has not produced any such materials, its president, Zoran Strezovski, confirmed the cancelation with the Artsakh Cultural Preservation Center, which announced the news on Wednedsay.

WOFA also indicated that it plans to invite the ensembles to another event planned for March 2027.

The Artsakh Cultural Preservation Center said it had not received a detailed explanation for the cancelation of the November festival and did not claim that the exclusion of the Artsakh artists prompted the decision, despite the wave of protests and anger that it generated.

The Artsakh Cultural Preservation Center, however, insisted that the cancelation had not resolved the initial concern regarding the exclusion of Artsakh artists.