The State Youth Orchestra of Armenia was founded in 2005 by conductor Sergey Smbatyan, who is also its Artistic Director and Principal Conductor. In 2008 on the special decision of the Government of the Republic of Armenia the Orchestra was granted the title of “State Orchestra” for their high professionalism and expansion of contemporary music.
The Orchestra has performed with numerous concerts both in Armenia and beyond its borders. It has performed in the most famous concert halls in Germany, France, Russia, Belgium, China, Netherlands, Italy, Lebanon and other countries, such as Opera Garnier, Konzerthaus, Dr. Anton Philipszaal, Palais des Beaux-Arts, P.Tchaikovsky Philharmonic Concert Hall and Conservatory Great Concert Hall, etc.
The Orchestra always makes an indivisible part of prestigious international festivals, to name a few, “Moscow Easter Festival”, “YOUNG.EURO.CLASSIC’’, "Kultursommer Nordhessen", "Young.Classic.Wratislavia", and many others. SYOA has performed as the official orchestra of such prestigious international musical events as the Aram Khachaturian International Competition (since 2007), the Musica Riva International Festival (2013), the 9th Frederic Chopin International Competition for Young Pianists (2014), the Al Bustan International Festival (2014- 2016) and many others.
With close-creative relations with the masters of the world stage Valery Gergiev, Krzysztof Penderecki, Vladimir Spivakov, Maxim Vengerov, Denis Matsuev, Vadim Repin, Vag Papyan, Boris Berezovsky and many others. The Orchestra has reached new heights in the music industry.
Since 2010 the State Youth Orchestra of Armenia has been holding the annual Armenian Composers’ Art Festival, and since 2013 the orchestra has been realizing the annual Khachaturian International Festival.
The wide repertoire of the Orchestra ranges from classical to contemporary genre. In 2011 the SYOA released its first CD entitled "Music is the answer".