This Should Become a Flourishing and Well-Maintained Place: Anna Hakobyan at the Dilijan Composers' House

The spouse of the Prime Minister of Armenia and chairwoman of the boards of the "My Step" and "City of Smiles" foundations, Anna Hakobyan, visited the Dilijan Composers' House today, accompanied by Armenia's Deputy Minister of Culture Arayik Khzmalyan and Executive Director of the "My Step" foundation, Hovhannes Ghazaryan.

Under the leadership of Aram Satyan, the president of the Union of Composers of Armenia, the guests toured the premises of the creative house and became acquainted with the building's conditions. The president shared the history of the house with the guests and guided them to the Ludwig van Beethoven concert hall, and in cottage number 21, where the famed composer Arno Babajanian once lived and created, they performed some of the beloved works of the renowned composer.

He presented his vision for the development of the Composers' House, including the idea of hosting an international festival next year in 2020 to commemorate Beethoven's 250th anniversary.

Addressing the generally poor conditions of the creative house and the prospects and programs for its development, Anna Hakobyan stated: "Our aim should be to make this a flourishing and very well-maintained place in the short term, where people can enter and connect with its glorious history. This house should become a welcoming venue for festivals and international musical events."

As a result of the visit, an agreement was reached to develop and implement a comprehensive renovation and development program for the Dilijan Composers' House through the joint efforts of the "My Step" foundation, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia, and the Union of Composers of Armenia.

Should the program launch successfully, an international festival dedicated to Ludwig van Beethoven's 250th anniversary will be held next year in the concert hall of the creative house.