National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia

The origin of the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia (NCOA) dates back to the Soviet era.

In April 1997, Armenia’s Ministry of Culture extended a special invitation to American-Armenian conductor Aram Gharabekian and appointed him as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the newly formed National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia.

The twenty-five members of the NCOA exemplify the finest chamber music players in Armenia who are all graduates of the Komitas Conservatory in Yerevan.

Gharabekian and NCOA have recorded three CD albums of works by Armenian composers and have released two DVDs of live open-air performances by the magnificent backdrop of historic sites of Garni Temple (1st century AD) and Zvartnots Complex (7th century AD).

The NCOA Gala Open-Air Concert DVD recorded live at the Garni temple in 2004 has been recognized with a special diploma at 2005 ECO-ETNO-FOLK Film Festival in Bucharest, Romania.