ՓԱՌԱՏՈՆMoscow International

Duduk Festival

Duduk, orchestra and one stage. Bringing musicians and listeners from different countries together since 2014.

About the festival

Music that brings us together

The festival was created by Suren Baghdasaryan and Marina Selivanova, the founders of DUDUKIST. Across six festivals, we have travelled from the Moskvich Cultural Centre to the Kremlin Palace and the Moscow Planetarium.

Duduk masters and young performers share the stage, bringing Armenian tradition and orchestral sound together. Each festival introduces new names, musical encounters and a chance to hear the duduk in a new way.

Chronicle

Six duduk festivals

I2014
The first duduk festival
30 April 2014 · Moskvich Cultural Centre, Moscow
The very first Moscow International Duduk Festival. Hovhannes Kazaryan, Argishti, Vitaly Poghosyan, Gegham Oganyan, OTTA-orchestra and other musicians gathered on one stage — the festival movement had begun.
≈ 1000 spectators
II2015
The duduk gains strength
27 September 2015 · Moscow State Variety Theatre
The second festival drew fifteen hundred spectators. Among the participants were the 'Urartu' duduk quartet, the Dudukist ensemble, Emmanuel Hovhannisyan, Vitaly Poghosyan and Argishti.
≈ 1500 spectators
III2016
For the first time with the Boyan orchestra
25 September 2016 · Moskvich Concert Hall, Moscow
At the 3rd festival, the duduk was accompanied by the Boyan Russian Academic Concert Orchestra under Honoured Artist of Russia Nikolai Stepanov. Performers included Gagik Malkhasyan, Norayr Barseghyan, Arsen Grigoryan, Rafael Mkrtchyan and Emmanuel Hovhannisyan.
With the Boyan orchestra
IV2017
The duduk in the Kremlin
1 October 2017 · State Kremlin Palace, Moscow
The festival reached the stage of the State Kremlin Palace — again with the Boyan orchestra. The world's best duduk players: Vitaly Poghosyan, Armen Hovhannisyan, Rafael Mkrtchyan, Gegham Oganyan, Karine Drnoyan, OTTA-orchestra and the group Acapella Express.
The Kremlin stage
V2018
Duduk in space
6–7 October 2018 · Moscow Planetarium
The anniversary festival was held under the dome of the Moscow Planetarium during Space Week — with a full-dome video projection. The headliner was Gevorg Dabagyan, Honoured Artist of Armenia and professor at the Komitas Conservatory. Also: Martin Kazaryan, Armen Hovhannisyan, the 'Ozarenie' chamber choir and Sati Kazanova.
Full-dome show
VI2019
A season of Armenian culture
2019 · S. S. Prokofiev Museum, Moscow
The sixth festival was held at the Sergei Prokofiev Museum as part of the 'Season of Armenian Culture' — chamber duduk evenings in the museum halls.
Chamber format

Concerts

Duduk in the Dark

Live music in complete darkness offers a new way to hear the duduk. In a specially darkened hall, nothing distracts from the sound: melodies, rhythms and pauses create images that each listener imagines in their own way.

The DUDUKIST ensemble performs in the Concert in the Dark project with two programmes: Armenian Duduk in the Dark and Duduk in the Dark. Life in Moments 2.0. Together, they explore Armenian music, memories and stories that connect generations.

Explore the concerts