Internationally acclaimed pianist Alice Sara Ott performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra at a concert in Yerevan dedicated to the longstanding friendship and cultural ties between Armenia and Europe. Titled “Symphonic Europe,” the concert was organized by the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia and the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra. The performance was conducted by Sergey Smbatyan. The evening opened with welcoming remarks by Armenia’s Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan and Vassilis Maragos, Head of the European Union Delegation to Armenia and EU Ambassador. The program featured Ludwig van Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture and Piano Concerto No. 4, Giuseppe Verdi’s overture to the opera The Sicilian Vespers , and Claude Debussy’s La Mer . Ott, one of today’s most innovative classical musicians, was visiting Armenia for the first time. Reflecting on her collaboration with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Smbatyan, she praised their freedom and flexibility in making music. “Everyone is so flexible and interested in creating music that they bring great energy and inspiration to the soloist. As a soloist, I also try to absorb the orchestra’s energy. Everything becomes much more enjoyable when everyone looks at each other and is clearly enjoying the music,” Ott said. Although Ott has performed many of Beethoven’s concertos, she was performing Piano Concerto No. 4 for the first time. She described it as one of the highlights of the piano repertoire. Ott considers Beethoven an architect of sound, explaining that the composer creates rooms and spaces through music, establishing a dialogue between space and people. The concert celebrated the role of music in bringing peoples and cultures closer together, highlighting the enduring cultural connections between Armenia and Europe. GTB Capital is the main partner of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra’s 21st concert season.