The ARCO Chamber Orchestra:was founded in 1989 by Levon Ambartsumian, at the world-renowned Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where he served as Professor of Violin. Among its hand-picked charter members were a few instructors, some of his students, and several recent graduates from the Conservatory. Almost immediately ARCO performances throughout Europe drew the kind of high critical praise and enthusiastic audience responses typified by this account in the French newspaper L'Est Republicain:
"[Mr. Ambartsumian]... maintains the tradition of the Russian
musical education which leads to perfection. Whether he
strokes the strings of this violin with his bow or conducts his
orchestra with his dancing hands, Levon Ambartsumian thinks
only to serve the musical work. The orchestra members, many
of whom are young, clearly have a passion for playing music...
The public held their breath, astonished by the perfection of
the interpretation"
The international acclaim grew in subsequent years, following ARCO's concert tours in Italy, France, Germany, Romania and Korea.
In 1995, Mr Ambartsumian joined The University of Georgia's School of
Music as the Franklin Professor of Violin, while remaining the artistic
director and conductor of ARCO. Because he was able to bring some of his
students to America with him, the home base of the orchestra shifted to
this hemisphere, where the ensemble has now become a talented blend of
Russian and American musicians. Professor Ambartsumian's goal is to
establish ARCO as one of America's premier chamber orchestras. Many of
those who marvel at the well-trained group's unique combination of
precision and passion believe that his goal has already been met with
notable success. Their recent tours have, once again, consistently drawn
high praise:
The reading had heart and soul. There was a throbbing nature to
the playing, an intensity of feelings. Everything seemed planned
and prepared carefully. And yet, not for a moment was there a
lack of spontaneity or vitality. This was a first rate
performance.
-- The Herald Times,USA
A wonderful performance.... subtle and delicate, yet good and
lusty when called for.... The Tchaikovsky Serenade for
Stringsundoubtedly made the greatest impression. It was a
high voltage, utterly idiomatic reading that brought the
audience to its feet before its last echoes reached the back of
the church..... It's a wonder that people were not dancing in
the aisles.
-- The Ottawa Citizen," Canada