Paying homage to the brilliance of luminary French-Armenian composer Michel Petrossian, the fourth edition of The Modern Composers International Music Festival (ModComFest), organised by its President Konstantin Ishkhanov, will converge in Chieti and Paris for a cultural spectacle unlike any other. Titled Portrait des Compositeurs d’Aujourd’hui: Michel Petrossian, the dazzling affair scheduled for Autumn 2025 will highlight Petrossian’s achievements in the realm of classical music, with a particular focus on his passion for seamlessly blending the echoes of ancient civilisations with avant-garde, futuristic soundscapes.
The gifted composer’s longstanding career spans concert halls, opera houses, and ballet stages across the globe, with notable achievements including co-founding the Cairn Ensemble and winning the Grand Prize at Grand Prix Lycéen des Compositeurs and the Queen Elisabeth International Composition Competition. ”Winning the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2021 for In the Wake of Ea, a piece inspired by a Babylonian tablet, was a divine surprise, especially since I was among 144 candidates competing for this significant opportunity,” said Petrossian. ”It gave me valuable exposure, leading to numerous new experiences, such as performing in a grand concerto at Théâtre du Châtelet, participating in the Aix-en-Provence Festival, and even the chance to compose music for films.”
These movies include Gloria Mundi, Bravo, Virtuose! and, most recently, En Fanfar. ”Typically, people tend to separate serious composers from film music composers. However, this distinction has not always existed in music history. Some of the greatest composers of the 20th century, such as Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and Toru Takemitsu, also composed for film. I believe that, in the 20th and 21st centuries, film serves a similar role to opera in the 19th century, with audiences flocking to the movies increasingly, particularly in France,” expressed Petrossian.
Adding ModComFest 2025 to his long list of accolades, the cultural affair recognised for its dedication to honouring the works of contemporary composers, will feature four spectacular concerts, each showcasing Michel Petrossian’s unique ability to connect the ancient past with the sounds of the future. The maestro expressed excitement about being the honouree of the upcoming festival, saying ”Konstantin Ishkhanov reached out to me, explaining that he organises a remarkable festival for important composers from around the world and expressed interest in featuring my pieces. Following our conversation, we developed different concepts for the concert, highlighting important aspects of my life and work. I am actively involved in all aspects of this project and genuinely hope my music resonates profoundly with audiences,” he added, ”As a person who is particular about the organisations I work with, I find it exciting to be involved in this project with a professional team like Ishkhanov’s that truly knows what it’s doing. It inspires me and motivates me to give my best effort.”
Konstantin Ishkhanov, The President of ModComFest
The festival will open on September 14, 2025, with a concert in Chieti’s Teatro Marrucino, after which the celebrations will venture to Paris on September 20, 2025, welcoming attendees to the Auditorium du Petit Palais with Chanter l’icône, performed by Ensemble Musicatreize under the baton of renowned conductor Roland Hayrabédian. On October 2, 2025, it continues at the Auditorium du CRR de Paris with a performance of Petrossian’s 8.4 Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, ‘La lutte ardente du vert et de l’or’ for piano solo, ‘Stilleven’ for solo violin, ‘Vénus de Lespugue’ for solo viola, Claude Debussy’s ‘L’après-midi d’un faune’ and György Ligeti’s Etude pour piano featuring Alexander Chaushian (cello) Chae-Um Kim, (piano) and Karine Lethiec (viola), accompanied by Ensemble 2E2M and conducted by Léo Margue. The festival’s grand finale will unfold on October 3, 2025, at the Théâtre de Saint-Maur, where audiences will be treated to Sept, les anges de Sinjar, featuring The Ensemble Orchestral Contemporain, Bruno Mantovani and dancers from Compagnie Hallet-Eghayan.
Speaking about his inspirations behind choosing these works, Petrossian shared, ”Music shouldn’t just be superficial; it should touch the soul — that’s the standard I follow when selecting works. I didn’t want to include very new compositions; instead, I aimed to present pieces that have already been performed well and to explore them deeply in interpretation. Plus, the pieces are just one aspect of a composer’s work; the performance is another crucial element because, without the performers, the music doesn’t come to life. I always strive to collaborate with performers whom I respect and who appreciate my work, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so.”
Emphasising the power of music in connecting audiences to shared human experiences, the visionary declared, ”I sincerely hope that my music will attract not only friends and familiar faces but also new audiences. My goal is to bridge gaps, uniting us in something greater than ourselves.”
For more details about the upcoming fourth edition of ModComFest, Michel Petrossian or Konstantin Ishkhanov, please visit modcomfest.com.