ArmenianStateSymphonyOrchestra

Armenian State Symphony Orchestra Set for Historic Debut Tour Across the US.

NEW YORK — This summer, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra will make its first-ever appearance on American soil, bringing music director and founder Sergey Smbatyan to the podium of three of the country's most celebrated concert venues. The tour opens at Symphony Hall in Boston on June 26, continues at Carnegie Hall in New York on June 27, and concludes at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on June 29.

Renowned at home in Armenia and a frequent guest on stages across Europe and Asia, the orchestra is known for a wide-ranging repertoire — from beloved classics and landmark works of Armenian and world music to premieres by today's leading composers. For its American debut, the ensemble has built each program around the music of Aram Khachaturian (1903–1978), one of Armenia's most celebrated composers. Conducted by Smbatyan and joined by violinist Sergey Khachatryan as soloist, the concerts will feature Khachaturian's Violin Concerto alongside selections from his ballet suites Spartacus and Gayaneh.

About the Conductor — Sergey Smbatyan is one of Armenia's most prominent cultural figures, with a growing international profile. Shortly after establishing the ensemble that would become the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra in 2005, he made his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra at Windsor Castle under the patronage of the then–Prince Charles, now King Charles III, and was later invited to conduct the Philharmonia Orchestra at Buckingham Palace. He currently also holds the position of principal conductor of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.

A dedicated champion of young musicians, Smbatyan has launched several educational initiatives alongside his work with the orchestra. In 2015, to mark the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, he founded the World Orchestra for Peace. Since 2023, he has served as a UNICEF National Ambassador.

About the Orchestra — In nearly twenty years, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra has built an international reputation for the quality of its performances, earning strong reviews on tour and through its recordings. Its repertoire spans symphonic, ballet, and operatic works, along with orchestral arrangements of film and popular music and jazz-inflected interpretations of classical pieces.

The upcoming U.S. tour will center on the work of Aram Khachaturian, the composer whose music helped define Armenia's place in the world of classical music.