Hover Chamber Choir
Hover Chamber Choir was established in 1992 in Armenia by Sona Hovhannisyan and the students of Yerevan State Komitas Conservatory. Hover received the Gold Medal at the International Choir Olympiad in Linz, Austria in 2000, became a prize winner at the International Competition in Tours, France, received diplomas at the International Polyphonic Music Festival in Arezzo, Italy in 1997.
Hover's rich and varied repertoire includes baroque, classical, contemporary, folk and sacred music. Among the major works premiered in Armenia are Bach's St John and St Matthew Passions, Britten's Cantata Missericordia, as well as performed Requiems by Mozart and Cherubini, Avet Terterian's Sixth Symphony, Stepan Rostomian's "Entrance" chamber opera (conducted by Diego Masson). Hover participated in concert performances of operas Madam Butterfly, Il barbiere di Siviglia, I pagliacci. Hover toured Great Britain, France, and Germany. In 2007 the male contingent of the choir appeared in sacred music festivals in Poland. In 2008 performance of choral pieces by Penderecki was rated by the author as one of the best. The choir released numerous CDs and a DVD. The soundtrack to Ararat (movie) by Atom Egoyan and the soundtrack for the restoration of Armenian first silent film "Namus" also have contributions from the Hover.
Discography
- Spiritual Choir Music by Ludwig Bazil (Venice, 1998)
- Armenian Voices (Pomegranate Music, USA 2002)
- Six Fables. Music by Stepan Babatorosyan to the fables by Mkhitar Aigektsi (Pomegranate Music, USA 2003; received Armenian Music Awards)
- The Way (VEM, USA, 2005)
- Armenian Divine Liturgy by Komitas, (Hover Recordings, Germany, 2006)
- Armenian Folk Songs arr. by Komitas (Hover Recordings, Germany, 2007)
Management
- Arman Padaryan since 2004