Kapan International Music Festival

Kapan Fest 2026: Celebration of music, art, cultural heritage

In the summer of 2026, the heart of Armenia’s Syunik Province will once again become a global center of music and art, beating with the rhythms of classical music. 

The Kapan International Music Festival - the Kapan Fest - will bring together world-renowned musicians, young talents, and art-loving audiences for the fourth consecutive year, becoming one of the most important cultural events of the year.

The festival, which has already become a tradition, will transform Kapan, Armenia into a platform for live music, creative dialogue, and international cultural cooperation for 10 days. World-renowned soloists, conductors, and the best chamber music artists from 16 countries - Armenia, Belgium, Denmark, USA, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, Ecuador, Russia, Romania, and Georgia - will participate in Kapan Fest 2026. One of the key components of the festival will once again be the Kapan Fest Academy, where 55 young musicians selected from different countries around the world will have the opportunity to participate in intensive master classes, work with legendary musicians, and perform concert programs with them on the same stage.

The sponsors of Kapan Fest are the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Armenia, the Kapan Municipality, the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Embassies of Belgium and Denmark in Armenia, Francis Kurkdjian, Thomas Wang, Larsen Strings, and several other companies and individuals, with whose support it becomes possible to hold all the concerts of this festival completely free of charge for the audience, to implement the educational programs of the Kapan Fest Academy and, in general, to bring to life this festival unprecedented in scale and significance.

This year’s Kapan Fest will feature world-renowned violinist Gilles Apap and legendary Tomas Lundström for the first time in Armenia. Violinist Andrey Baranov will participate in the festival for the first time, along with viola players Iben Thielemann and Loan Cazal. The audience will also have the opportunity to enjoy the performances of Radu Ratoi. The Chanter Parajanov Ensemble, the Musicatreize, and jazz musician Beka Gochiashvili, along with his friends, will also present their unique musical world at the festival.

Among the beloved and regular participants of Kapan Fest are Andrey Gridchuk, Haik Kazazyan, Hrachya Avanesyan, Karen Shahgaldyan, Marianna Shirinyan, Anna Sarkisova, Julien Libeer, Mika Hakhnazaryan, Astrig Siranossian, Anna Sarkisova, Tigran Suchyan, Armen Karamyan, and Norayr Kartashyan.

One of the most anticipated events of Kapan Fest will be the Viennese Evening in Kapan, an exclusive event being organized in an unprecedented format in Armenia. The guests of the evening, dressed in elegant evening attire, will enter a specially designed hall, receive masks, and find themselves in the atmosphere of a real Viennese masquerade. The evening will begin in the lobby with drinks and socializing, after which the guests will move to the main hall, where the Kapan Fest orchestra will present a program of Viennese waltzes. During the intermission, the Festival Jazz Band will present jazz interpretations, giving the evening a unique touch.

Under the direction of Davit Vardanyan, ballet master of the Theater Gera in Germany, professional dancers will present performances and conduct waltz lessons for guests in advance. Under the direction of Vienna-based conductor Florian Frisper, the program will include opera arias, famous Viennese waltzes, and classical works, ending with a dance and festive evening.

Since its inception, Kapan Fest has supported young musicians through masterclasses, instruments, and scholarships. It is now creating the Kapan Orchestra for continued training, mentorship, and performances beyond the festival.