SOCIO-CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ACADEMIC CHORAL ART IN THE STUDY OF THE ROSTOV PAGE OF THE CONCERT ACTIVITY OF THE OUTSTANDING MODERN CONDUCTOR OHANES TCHEKIDJIAN

Abstract

The paper studies the performing activity of the “Marshal of Choral Art”, Artistic Director of the State National Academic Choir of Armenia (since 1961), National Hero of Armenia (2017), People’s Artist of the USSR (1978), the USSR State Prize Recipient (1975), Conductor, Professor Ohannes Tchekidjian. Having covered the Rostov page of the prominent conductor’s concerts, the author sums up the Maestro’s creative career, concluding that, thanks to O. Tchekidjian, the quality of musical life in Armenia has raised to a higher level. Maestro Tchekidjian and the Armenian Capella visited Rostov-on-Don two times – in 1972 and 1983. The goal of the research is to present for the first time the 1983 Rostov tours of Maestro Ohannes Tchekidjian and the Armenian Capella, which were a great success. Under Ohannes Tchekidjian’s direction, the Rostov State Symphony Orchestra and the State Academic Choir of Armenia premiered the Requiem by Gabriel Faure, whose concert biography in the Soviet Union began thanks to Ohannes Tchekidjian. Introducing the Rostov page of the outstanding conductor’s concert activities, the author gives a generalized description of his work, concluding that thanks to Ohannes Tchekidjian, the academic choral art of Armenia has risen to a qualitatively new level. It has had a huge sociocultural impact not only on the musical life of Rostov-on-Don, but also on the entire multinational Soviet Union. Moreover, with his talent and multifaceted activities, the Maestro was able to make a significant contribution to the development of world choral music and conducting art in general.