Armenian cellist finds resonance in Shenzhen

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Karen Kocharyan has been the principal cellist of Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra since 2017. He has had this special feeling of being at home ever since he arrived in Shenzhen. Together with his colleagues, Kocharyan hopes to delight the audience with outstanding performances and promote musical appreciation to the public.

亚美尼亚大提琴演奏家卡伦•科恰良自2017年开始担任深圳交响乐团大提琴首席。从来到深圳的第一天起，他就有一种像在家一样的奇妙感觉。科恰良表示，他希望与同事们一起，用精彩的演出吸引观众，带领大众品味古典音乐。

亚美尼亚大提琴家用音乐与“爱乐之城”共鸣

     Video and photos by Liu Xudong except otherwise stated

    视频、摄影：刘旭东

As the principal cellist for the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, Karen Kocharyan from Armenia knows that music speaks a universal language and has the magical power to bring people together.

作为深圳交响乐团的首席大提琴演奏家，来自亚美尼亚的卡伦·科恰良深知音乐是一种国际通用语言，具有把人们凝聚在一起的神奇力量。

The Armenian has had this special feeling of being at home from the first year, or even the first day, when he arrived in Shenzhen.

自科恰良来到深圳的第一年，甚至第一天起，他就有一种像在家一样的奇妙感觉。

Karen Kocharyan, principal cellist for the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, at an orchestra rehearsal.

深圳交响乐团首席大提琴演奏家卡伦·科恰良参加乐团排练。

“Believe me, the first year (in Shenzhen) showed me that, the first day even, when my friend whom I knew came and picked me up, I felt myself at home, really at home,” Kocharyan told Shenzhen Daily in a recent interview.

“相信我，在深圳的第一年，甚至在第一天，当我朋友来接我的时候，我就感觉像在家一样，确实有家的感觉。”科恰良近日在接受英文《深圳日报》采访中说道。

That’s considerably different from what Kocharyan had expected as he had assumed that he would be an alien due to different cultures and mindsets. But now, whenever he leaves Shenzhen, he misses it.

这与他的预期截然相反，因为他本以为自己会因为不同的文化和思维模式而成为一个外人。但现在，每当他离开深圳的时候，他都会想念这座城市。

The Armenian cellist first came to Shenzhen with his piano trio in 2013, when the trio staged a concert at Shenzhen Concert Hall.

科恰良与深圳这座“爱乐之城”的不解之缘始于2013年。当时，他与他的钢琴三重奏首次来到深圳，并在深圳音乐厅举行了一场音乐会。

“I liked the city very much. Later, I got an invitation that the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra needed a principal cellist. So I came,” he said.

“我非常喜欢这个城市。后来，我接到邀请，深圳交响乐团需要一位首席大提琴演奏家。于是我来了。”他说。

    An official photo of Kocharyan playing the cello. Courtesy of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra

 科恰良的深圳交响乐团定妆照。深圳交响乐团提供

According to Kocharyan, his life in Shenzhen has been very active. “In China, life is very active. You are always trying to achieve something. That’s why you can see the development of this country. Every single day, you see something new, something big, something beautiful.”

科恰良说，他在深圳的生活一直很充实忙碌。“在中国，生活是很充实的。人们总是在努力实现一些目标。这一点你从这个国家的发展也可以看出来。每一天，你都可以看到一些新的、意义重大的、美好的事物不断涌现。”

When asked to sum up Shenzhen in a few words, the Armenian cellist is at a loss for words. “It’s very beautiful, dynamic, glamorous ... I cannot say only one word,” Kocharyan said. He is also fascinated by Shenzhen’s natural environment, where green is everywhere and the air is clean and fresh.

“深圳是一座非常美丽、充满活力、富有魅力的城市……我不能用一个词来概括。”当被问到用词语来概括深圳时，这位大提琴演奏家表示很难用一两个词来概括深圳。此外，他还很喜欢深圳的生态环境，城市里到处充满绿意，空气清新。

Every spring since 2017, Shenzhen has hosted the Belt & Road International Music Festival, utilizing music as a bridge to foster cross-cultural communication and exchanges.

自2017年以来，深圳“一带一路”国际音乐季都会开启整个音乐季的春天之旅，以音乐为纽带，促进与世界不同文明的沟通与交流。

Members of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra at a rehearsal.

深圳交响乐团成员排练中。

Kocharyan said he was overjoyed to have attended the music festivals for so many years. “For anyone who is living and working abroad, if you are accepted there and your effort is needed, it’s a really good and responsible feeling. And I feel myself really happy that I can do something here. I am part of this culture.”

科恰良说，他很高兴能够在这些年一直参与“一带一路”国际音乐季。“对于任何在国外生活和工作的人来说，如果你在那里被接受，你的努力被认可，这都是一种非常幸福的感觉，你会有一种责任感。我很高兴能在这里贡献自己的力量，我融入到这里的音乐文化。”

The Armenian cellist also performed at an evening gala in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in 2020.

2020年，这位亚美尼亚大提琴演奏家还在庆祝深圳经济特区建立40周年文艺晚会上倾情演出。

“I feel a really big responsibility as a personality, a musician and a professional. I’m thrilled that I can contribute in this way,” Kocharyan said, adding that he and his colleagues share the same goals of delighting the audience with outstanding performances and promoting musical appreciation to the public.

“作为一位名人、音乐家和专业人士，我感到责任重大。我很高兴我能在这里有所作为。”科恰良说。他表示，他和同事们希望用精彩的演出吸引观众，带领大众品味古典音乐。

According to him, the local government strongly supports cultural development, setting an example for other nations to follow. Shenzhen Vitalization Symphony Development Foundation, for example, is an important achievement of the Shenzhen Municipal Government in promoting public participation in high culture and enabling residents to gain musical enjoyment through high-level concerts.

在他看来，深圳市政府大力支持文化事业发展，为其他国家和地区树立了榜样。深圳市振兴交响乐发展基金会就是深圳市政府推动公众参与高雅文化事业的重要成果，公众也通过参与高水准的公益音乐会体验到由衷的快乐。

Kocharyan and other members of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra at a rehearsal. 

科恰良和其他深圳交响乐团成员排练中。

“For our orchestra, for instance, we have many concerts at various locations. Sometimes we get tired because there are so many concerts. But on the other hand, this is an amazing opportunity for people to come listen to classical music and to be involved in such an interesting and beautiful culture,” he said.

“比如，我们交响乐团会在不同的地点举行音乐会。有时我们会感到疲惫，因为有很多音乐会。但另一方面，这是一个很棒的机会，能让人们来听古典音乐，参与到如此有趣、精彩的音乐文化中来。”他解释道。

Kocharyan, who has been with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra for five years, was impressed by the orchestra’s professionalism. Working in such a professional environment resembles knowledge and cultural exchanges for him.

在深圳交响乐团工作的这五年，科恰良对交响乐团的专业印象深刻。在这样专业的环境中工作，对他来说就像是进行无数次知识和文化交流。

He believes that the orchestra will continue to uphold high standards, pushing them to join the world’s most important and prestigious orchestras and become the first in Asian orchestras.

他认为，深圳交响乐团将会继续保持高标准，不断向前迈进并加入世界上举足轻重和享誉国际的乐团行列，成为亚洲第一交响乐团。

“I remember the reception we had in Europe when we performed there. I could tell by their response that we’re really accepted,” Kocharyan remarked, noting how the audience was amazed by their approach to playing.

“我还记得我们在欧洲演出时观众的反响。从他们的反应中可以看出，我们是真的被认可了。”科恰良说，乐团的演奏让观众惊叹。

Every time the Armenian cellist is on stage, he believes there is an invisible connection with the audience. “It’s very special for me to find some people with whom I can feel their reaction, and I keep this connection during the performance.”

每当科恰良上台演奏时，他都相信与观众之间有一种无形的连接。“对我来说很特别的是，我会找到一些和我心灵相通的观众，我在演出过程中会保持这种连接。”

This is the connection musicians give their audience, who then give it back to them with their passion and participation. In Shenzhen, a music-loving city, this connection is always palpable, according to Kocharyan.

在他看来，这种连接是当音乐家为观众倾情演出时，观众用他们的热情和参与作出的回应。而在深圳这座“爱乐之城”，这种连接总是显而易见。