The Kapan International Music Festival has issued a formal clarification following widespread reports that Martha Argerich had been hospitalised. While confirming the cancellation of her scheduled appearances in Armenia, the festival firmly denied that the celebrated pianist is facing health problems.
According to the official statement, Argerich’s concerts—part of the Martha Argerich and Friends series—have been cancelled solely so that the artist can take a period of rest. The 84-year-old pianist is currently at home, in good health, and preparing for upcoming engagements.
The concerts were to feature Argerich alongside Theodosia Ntokou, David Chen, and Lyda Chen Argerich, all of whom have now withdrawn from the festival. The news initially sparked speculation about Argerich’s health, with some outlets citing hospitalisation due to exhaustion following an intensive tour. These claims were widely shared and incorrectly attributed to the festival organisers.
In the official clarification, Sevak Avanesyan, Artistic Director of Kapan Fest and close friend of Argerich, emphasised that no information regarding her health had ever been released by the festival or its representatives. “The false info circulating was mistakenly attributed to Kapan Fest,” the statement reads.
Founded only three years ago, Kapan Fest has quickly established itself as a significant cultural event in Armenia’s Syunik region, far from the capital Yerevan. The festival brings together top-level musicians from Armenia and abroad, with Argerich’s participation intended as one of its highlights this year.
An earlier version of this article included information about a possible hospitalisation, based on secondary sources now corrected by the festival. We are glad to report that Martha Argerich is well, and we look forward to her return to the stage.
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Kapan Festival has dissociated itself from the false statement purported to be from it stating that Martha Argerich had been hospitalised. She has been advised to rest and not to travel for the time being while she recovers from exhaustion. Sh has had a very heavy schedule on several continents with no rest and I have personally witnessed her giving two concert while sick this year.
The Kapan Festival itself issued the following statement yesterday
!!! Fake News about Martha Argerich Hospitalized!!!
We would like to clarify that Kapan Fest has never made such a statement.
The recent article spreading this false information is entirely inaccurate and misleading.
As the founder and director of Kapan International Music Festival, I officially state that none of the claims published in that article came from us.
The “Martha Argerich and Friends” concerts have simply been cancelled, as the legendary pianist has chosen to take a short and well-deserved rest.
We are happy to confirm that Ms. Argerich is at home, doing well, and preparing for her upcoming performances. It will be our great pleasure to welcome her to Kapan Fest in the near future.
In the meantime, we are proud to announce that the world-renowned violinist Vadim Repin will make his Kapan debut on July 14 with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sergey Smbatyan.
This will be followed by the chamber music concert “Vadim Repin and Friends” on July 15, which will serve as the grand finale of the 3rd annual Kapan International Music Festival.
Thank you for your continued trust and support.
See you in Kapan!
Thank you very much for your message and for pointing this out. As you may have seen, we corrected the story on Saturday as soon as the official statement from Kapan Festival was published. We are grateful for your attention to the matter and appreciate your taking the time to clarify the situation.
Warm regards,
Damián Autorino
Editor-Moto Perpetuo