The Moscow International Duduk Festival, MIDF (; ) is an international annual music festival of Armenian national musical instrument of Duduk held in Moscow.
Organizers
The Festival is organized by the project Dudukist, which at this moment consists of Suren Baghdasaryan and Marina Selivanova (until 2016 – also Hovhannes Ghazaryan) In 2014 organizers of the Festival founded The School of Duduk under the direction of dudukist Hovhannes Ghazaryan.
Purposes
One of the main objectives of the Festival is to strengthen cultural bonds and cooperation between Russia, Armenia and other countries, as well as to promote the preservation and development of Armenian culture. The Festival also aims at finding and promoting talented duduk players from different parts of the world.
History
The First Moscow Duduk Festival was held on 30 April 2014, at the Cultural Center “Moskvich”. The participants of the festival included Hovhannes Ghazaryan, Martin Ghazaryan, Vardan Harutyunyan, Valeriy Nam, Argishti, Aram Avedikyan, Yuriy Muradyan, Selena, Gegham Ohanyan, Gevorg Hayrapetyan, David Hovsepyan, Vitaliy Poghosyan, Aleksey Sadoev, Merujan Achoyan, instrumental band “OTTA-orkestr”, singer Diana Dikovski, famous author and performer Yevgeniy Ross, singer and one of the organizers of the Festival Marina Selivanova. Stage-director of the Festival – Artistic Director of “Gavit” Theatre Hamlet Galechyan, the Festival was hosted by Ruben Mkhitaryan. A total number of around one thousand people visited The First Moscow International Duduk Festival.
The Second Moscow Duduk Festival was held on 27 September 2015, in the Moscow State Variety Theatre. The participants of the Festival included Georgiy Minasov, Artak Asatryan, Georgiy Minasyan, Manvel Mnatsakanyan, Kamo Seyranyan, Gagik Malkhasyan, Hovhannes Ghazaryan, Norayr Barseghyan, Martin Ghazaryan, Vitaliy Poghosyan, Emmanuel Hovhannisyan, Argishti, ensemble “Dudukist”, duduk quartet “Urartu”, Tatul Hambartsumyan. Well-known performer of dance, folk and patriotic songs Dzakh Harut was also among those, who visited the Festival. Stage-director of the Festival –Artistic Director of “Gavit” Theatre Hamlet Galechyan, the Festival was hosted by Ruben Mkhitaryan. A total number of around 1.5 thousand people visited The Second Moscow International Duduk Festival.
The Third Moscow International Duduk Festival, organized by “Dudukist” project, took place on 25 September 2016 in the concert hall “Moskvich”. The Third Duduk Festival reached an even higher professional level due to the impeccable musical program accompanied by Russian Academic Concert Orchestra "Boyan". The orchestra has a unique composition and has no analogues in the world. Conductor - the Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation Nikolai Stepanov. The festival brought together the best duduk players of the world. The third festival's participants included Honoured Artist of Armenia Georgiy Minasov and his legendary ensemble “Dudukner”, Honoured Artist of Armenia Gagik Malkhasyan, Georgiy Minasyan, Artak Asatryan, Norayr Barseghyan, Anahit and Anna Mkhitaryan, Martin Ghazaryan, Vitaliy Poghosyan, Argishti, Arsen Grigoryan, Hovhannes Ghazaryan, ensemble “Dudukist”, Raphael Mkhitaryan, Emmanuel Hovhannisyan, Tatul Hambardzumyan and Selena. The Third Moscow International Duduk Festival was held with the support of the Armenian Youth Congress of Russia. Stage-director of the Festival –Artistic Director of “Gavit” Theatre Hamlet Galechyan, the Festival was hosted by Ruben Mkhitaryan.
On October 1, 2017, the IV Moscow International Duduk Festival was held in the small hall of the State Kremlin Palace. The festival was attended by dudukists from different countries, among which are: Vitaly Poghosyan, Armen Hovhannisyan, Rafael Mkrtchyan, Gegham Ohanyan, Khosrow Manukyan, Georgy Minasyan, Artak Asatryan Tatul Hambardzumyan, Karine Drnoyan Gegham Ohanyan, honored artist of Armenia Georgi Minasov and his Dudukner ensemble, also Acapella Express group and OTTA Orchestra. The host of the annual festival was Ruben Mkhitaryan. Soloists, like the year before, were accompanied by the Boyan State Academic Russian Concert Orchestra (conductor Nikolay Stepanov).