YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. "Today classic music doesn't occupy leading place in Armenia, and the people are more interested in the art of our today's stars," Eduard Topchian, the Artistic Head and the main conductor of the State Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia (STOA) mentioned at the December 22 press-conference. "If the "Aram Khachatrian" concert hall is full during concerts, from one hand this makes us happy and from the other hand, makes anxious as there are 1300 people in Armenia listening to real classic music, many people come for just to come," E.Topchiam mentioned. According to him, at the invitation of the Philharmonic, world-famous conductors and musicians-singers come to Armenia during a year but it's sorrowful that their concerts aren't held in a over-crowded hall. "It's clear that the classic music is a difficult art, and people want something more popular, but this simplicity comes to extreme," the Artistic Head of the Philharmonic emphasized. According to E.Topchian, if there wasn't the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Philharmonic would hardly act today and have a success all over the world. "Musicians of the orchestra get monthly 15 thousand drams from the state (about 40 US dollars), and abroad this money makes 150-160 thousand US dollars. Just for this reason our best musicians leave the Fatherland and promote their activity abroad as there their art is appreciated," the Artistic Head of the Philharmonic mentioned. However, E.Topchian hopes that classic music will flower in Armenia.

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