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Vardan Mamikonian began piano studies at Yerevan School at seven, going on to the Moscow and Tchaikovsky Conservatories, then Italian studies with Lazar Berman. This probably accounts for his mature and rather serious reading of Liszt's Funerailles. It was in the Poem by Arno Babadjanian where he excelled, written in the harmonically dodocaphonic style for competitors of the third Tchaikovsky Competition.

Soprano Hasmik Papian is an operatic artist of mainly a large selection of Italian roles and, in addition a concert singer of German/Austrian lieder, Russian and Armenian songs. With considerable aplomb she mastered the tenderness of Schubert's Auf dem Wasser zu singen and Gretchen am Spinrade, then soared aloft in Verdi's Ave Maria (Otello) and 'Pace mio dio' (La forza del destino). Komitas (his Priest name) -- the Armenian Soghomon Soghomonian who died in 1935 -- was a composer of different deeper emotions. Komm, o Nacht and Du fragst? (from German texts) and Like a Poplar/Striding, Beaming (English) were very much in character.

Bows and applause were received en masse.