After My Dismissal, Sponsors Stopped Supporting the Theater: Konstantin Orbelyan

Conductor Konstantin Orbelyan stated that after his dismissal from the position of director of the Spendiaryan National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet, the theater's sponsors ceased their financial support, and arrangements for various large-scale events and performances have been canceled due to uncertainty.

On October 8, Yerevan's General Jurisdiction Court fully granted Orbelyan's claim. The court declared invalid the order issued on March 28, 2019, by Acting Minister of Culture Nazeni Gharybean, which dismissed Konstantin Orbelyan from his directorial position. The court also obligated the theater to compensate Orbelyan for his forced idleness.

“When I was appointed to this position, I found sources of financial support thanks to my name and connections. But when I was dismissed, they also left. Maintaining the theater is an expensive affair, considering it employs 700 people,” said Orbelyan.

According to him, the theater has many problems, including a leaking roof, a need for renovations, and malfunctioning or poorly functioning ventilation systems. The issue of leasing the “Opera” club has not been resolved, and there are no proper rehearsal halls. Orbelyan emphasizes that he has repeatedly appealed to the relevant authorities to resolve these issues, but no progress has been made.

However, Orbelyan is confident that once the court's decision to restore his powers as director goes into effect, life in the theater will return to normal. “The theater's November repertoire will be rich. The Kaunas State Choir will perform there, along with soloists of the opera theater and the symphonic orchestra, presenting Mozart's ‘Requiem.’ For the first time, Mozart's ‘The Magic Flute’ and ‘The Crystal Palace’ will be presented with the participation of the theater's artists,” noted Orbelyan.

It is worth mentioning that Konstantin Orbelyan received a letter from the Ministry of Culture on the evening of March 26, stating that he would no longer hold the position of director effective April 1. The theater's collective organized a protest in front of the government building on April 1 in support of Orbelyan.