The first leg of the yearly "Untza" (Tribute) pan-Armenian competitive festival kicked off yesterday in Stepanakert, NKR. The young contestants who arrived in Karabakh performed a number of Armenian songs. This is the fifth year of the competition sponsored by the NKR government, Armenian Public Radio and TV and Armenia's State Song Theater. Taking part in the competition are 23 performers who were contestants in the past four competitions. The jury awarded Razmik Amayan, a young singer from Karabakh, the highest score. He performed Gourgen Gabrielyan's a "Karabakh Melody". Large parts of the repetoire of the other performers were songs penned by Artur Grigoryan, Artistic Director of Armenia's Song Theater. Today the contestants will perform renditions of foreign songs. The competition runs till June 13.