The State Philharmonia of Armenia | Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall

The State Philharmonia of Armenia, which has been running since 1930 at 2 Abovyan Street in Yerevan, was built between 1900 and 1919 according to the design of architect V.O. Simonson. The building was reconstructed in 1953, 1961, 1977 by architects M. Grigoryan and E. Srapyan. The National Assembly of the First Republic of Armenia, the Public Library, the Yerevan House of Culture, and other institutions have all operated here for over a century. Egon Petri, Svyatoslav Richter, David Oistrakh, Eddie Rosner, Zara Dolukhanova, Pavel Lisitsyan, Lili Chookasian, and Lili Amara were among the world music luminaries that performed in the concert hall. The newly established Komitas National Quartet and the Armenian State Philharmonic Orchestra performed for the Yerevan audience in this hall. This hall hosted Alexander Spendiaryan’s author evenings, Konstantin Sarajev’s Beethoven Cycle, Willy Ferrero’s concerts and open rehearsals. This is where Mozart’s Requiem and Bach’s C Minor in Bass were performed for the first time in Armenia. In 1936, the memorial service of the great Komitas took place in the building of Philharmonia. Martiros Saryan’s large-scale stained glass “Armenia” has been adorning the hall’s staircase since 1966. Since 2005 the hall of the Philharmonia has been named after the great composer-pianist Arno Babajanyan. The hall can accommodate 300 spectators, it is furnished with modern sound and light equipment. Various events are regularly held in the foyer of the hall.