Armenia on Music Theory Print

Alexander Arutiunian

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Alexander Grigori Arutiunian (23 September 192028 March 2012), was a Soviet and Armenian composer and pianist, widely known for his 1950 Trumpet Concerto. A professor at Yerevan State Conservatory, he was recognized with many awards for his work, including the Stalin Prize in 1949 and People’s Artist of the USSR in 1970, as well as numerous honors from his homeland of Armenia. Biography Arutiunian was born in Yerevan, First Republic of Armenia, in the family of Grigor and Eleonora Arutiunian. His father was a military serviceman. In 1927, Arutiunian became a member of the Yerevan State Conservatory’s children group, then, at age 14, he was admitted to the Conservatory to the studios of Olga Babasyan (piano), and Sergei Barkhudaryan and Vardges Talyan (composition). He graduated from the Music Conservatory of Yerevan on the eve of World War II. After the war he moved to Moscow, where between 1946 and 1948 he participated in the workshops of House of Armenian Culture, and studied composition with Genrikh Litinsky. After graduation he returned to Yerevan to teach at the local Conservatory and in 1954 he was appointed artistic director of the Armenian State Philharmony. He was also a m

Ara Gevorgyan

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Ara Gevorgyan (, born April 19, 1960) is an Armenian musician, composer and musical producer. In 2004 he was awarded the Honorary Artist of Armenia title by the President Robert Kocharyan. Biography Gevorgyan is the son of Armenian folk-singer Valya Samvelyan. He studied at School #31 of Yerevan and at the A. Tigranyan Musical School at the same time. During the two years he studied at Yerevan #8 college of Fine Arts. From 1983 to 1987 he studied at Armenian State Pedagogical University at the faculty of woodwind instruments and pop music department. In 1987-1989 Gevorgyan taught conducting at the same Institute, then he worked at Armenian Television (“3 Alik” TV program). In 1983 he founded the “Rally” Armenian pop-rock band, the participant of “Song-85” festival. He participated in the Opening Ceremony of the Cultural Year of Armenia in Russia hosted at the Moscow Kremlin Music Hall and honored by the presence of the presidents of Armenia and Russia Robert Kocharyan and Vladimir Putin respectively and the famous French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour. Ara Gevorgyan co-operates with Jivan Gasparyan, Ian Gillan, Demis Roussos, Pedro Eustache, Daniel Decker and others. Among his mo

Aram Satyan

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Awards = Honored Artist of Armenia, Gold Medal of the Ministry of Culture of Armenia, Movses Khorenatsi Medal, Order of 1st degree Merit for the Fatherland Aram Satyan (also Satian) (; born 23 May 1947) is an Armenian classical composer and popular music songwriter. Biography Aram Satyan was born in Yerevan (Armenia) into the second generation of a musical family. His father Aram Satunc (Satyan) and uncle Ashot Satyan were also notable composers. He studied at the Romanos Melikian Music College under Armenian composer and educator Edvard Baghdasaryan and then later at the Armenian State Conservatory with Edvard Mirzoyan and Alexander Arutiunian. In 1970 Satyan went on to postgraduate study at the Moscow Conservatory with Tikhon Khrennikov. At the time, Khrennikov was Chairman of the Union of Soviet Composers. On his advice, Satyan joined the union in 1971. His awards include First Prize in the 1969 Young Composers Review held in Moscow, for his Symphonic Variations. He went on to win national competitions in 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977 and 1979. In 1981, he won the Armenian Communist Union State Award. In addition to his symphonies and concertos, he has also composed over 300 songs, mus

Djivan Gasparyan

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Djivan Gasparyan (var. Jivan Gasparyan; , ; 12 October 1928 – 6 July 2021) was an Armenian musician and composer. He played the duduk, a double reed woodwind instrument related to the orchestral oboe. Gasparyan is known as the “Master of the duduk”. In 2006 he was nominated for Grammy Awards for the Best Traditional World Music Album. Biography Born in Solak, Armenia, to parents from Mush, Gasparyan started to play duduk when he was six. In 1948, he became a soloist of the Armenian Song and Dance Popular Ensemble and the Yerevan Philharmonic Orchestra. He won four medals at UNESCO worldwide competitions (1959, 1962, 1973, and 1980). In 1973 Gasparyan was awarded the honorary title People’s Artist of Armenia. In 2002, he received the WOMEX (World Music Expo) Lifetime Achievement Award. He is an Honorary citizen of Yerevan. A professor at the Yerevan State Musical Conservatory, Gasparyan played as part of the Armenian entry “Apricot Stone” by Eva Rivas at the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo and became the oldest ever person to feature in a Eurovision Song Contest performance, but was not officially listed as a guest artist. Death Gasparyan died on 6 July 2021, aged 92. It was an

Edgar Hovhannisyan

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Edgar Hovhannisyan, Hovhannisian or Oganesian (,; January 14, 1930 – December 28, 1998) was an Armenian composer, Professor of Composition at the Yerevan State Conservatory, People’s Artist of the USSR (1986). He graduated from the Yerevan State Conservatory in 1953, then pursued post-graduate work at the Moscow Conservatory, where he worked under famed Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian. He was the director of the State Opera and Ballet Theater in Yerevan from 1962–1968, and Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Union of Composers of the Armenian SSR from 1956–1973. He was the rector of the Yerevan State Conservatory from 1986 to 1991. Hovhannisyan is widely considered among the most influential Armenian composers of the 20th century. He is the author of ballets, including Joan of Arc, Sulamif (Shulamith) and Marmar. He experimented with various musical styles, including neo-classical, folk-based styles, and even jazz — such as in the Concert Variations for Saxophone and Jazz Orchestra — opera (Journey to Arzrum), various vocal-orchestral works (e.g. the oratorio Grigor Narekatsi, the hymn of Yerevan), and numerous film scores. Awards *State Prize of the USSR (1979) *State Prize of

Eduard Hayrapetyan

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Eduard Hayrapetyan (; born September 5, 1949) is an Armenian composer of contemporary classical music and educator. Biography He was born in Yerevan, Armenia, on September 5, 1949. He first studied composition at the Melikian Music College under Grigor Akhinian (1966–68) and then under Grigor Yeghiazarian at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory (1968–73). He joined the Armenian Composers Union in 1976. Hayrapetyan’s musical style is characterized by a blend of traditional Armenian motifs and modern compositional techniques. His works often incorporate elements of Armenian folk musice. Despite this traditional influence, Hayrapetyan’s compositions are noted for their innovative approach to harmony, rhythm, and orchestration. Throughout his career, Hayrapetyan has been a prolific composer, producing a wide range of works across various genres. In addition to his concertos, he has composed symphonies, chamber music, and vocal works. In addition to his work as a composer, Hayrapetyan is also an educator, having taught composition at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan for many years. He has mentored numerous young composers, passing on his knowledge and passion for music to the

Eduard Sadoyan

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Eduard Sadoyan (, 22 August 1932 — 21 February 2018) was an Armenian composer. Honored Art Worker of Armenia (2013). Biography Eduard Sadoyan was born on 22 August 1932 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR. Between 1968 and 1971, he attended the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory as an auditor, studying under Aram Khachaturian and Sergey Balasanian. He graduated in 1976 from the composition faculty at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, under the tutelage of Alexander Arutiunian. He became a member of the Armenian Composers’ Union in 1979. Compositions His works encompass a wide array of genres—operas, ballets, symphonies, concertos, string quartets, choral and vocal-instrumental music. Notable compositions include: * Symphony «Goyamart» («Struggle for Existence») * Symphonietta «Three Words about Armenia» * Mono-Opera «The Tree of Life» * Children’s Pieces for Piano (1961-1978) * Chamber Opera «Memoirs of Princess Maria Volkonskaya» (1978) * Concerto for Flute and Chamber Orchestra (1981) * Chamber Opera «Hey, Who’s Here?» (1982) * Chamber Music with Pantomime: «Bidsstrup’s Caricatures» (1984) * «Hayrens of Love» for Soprano and Piano (or Ensemble) * Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (1

Edward Manukyan

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Edward Manukyan (born July 27, 1981) is a composer from Southern California, United States. His main works are orchestral and chamber compositions, which lean heavily upon elements of Armenian national folklore. Early life It was not until his last years in high school that Manukyan showed interest in composing music. In 1997, he won state scholarship to study languages and psychology at the Yerevan State Linguistic University. During his student years, he committed himself to studying music and immediately began concentrating on composition. He became a member of local chamber orchestras, writing material for their repertoires. He also formed his own jazz quartet and gave concerts at various venues in Yerevan. Career Upon moving to California in 2002, Manukyan shifted his interests towards contemporary classical music after studying the works of his compatriot Aram Khachaturian. A cover-story article in the Glendale News-Press, published on October 23, 2007, shed some light on the composer’s unusual start in classical music. In 2004, Manukyan took composition classes from Rowan Taylor and went on to further study with composers John Kennedy and James Newton. He earned his master’s

Geghuni Chitchyan

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Geghuni Chitchyan or Chitchian (; ; born 30 August 1929) is an Armenian composer, pianist, and pedagogue. Her parents were veteran teachers; her brother, Henrikh, an established violinist. Biography Chitchyan was born on 30 August 1929 in Leninakan (now Gyumri). While attending the Tigranian Elementary School of Music, she began composing. At the age of ten she had already a published song. In 1940, she entered the Tchaikovsky Music School in Yerevan to study piano and composition. She continued her studies in composition with Grigor Yeghiazaryan from 1947 to 1953 at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory. After graduating, Chitchyan became the founding director of the composition department at the Konstantin Sarajev Music School in Yerevan. In 1971 she joined the faculty of the Yerevan Conservatory. In 1982 she was appointed assistant professor, and in 1990 she became a tenured professor. Chitchyan has been active in various musical and social organizations. She joined the Armenian Composers Union in 1955; was an associate of the Women’s Council of Armenia; and a member of the Artistic Forum of State Radio. She is the author of training manuals for music institutes and the co-auth

Gilbert Biberian

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Gilbert Emanuel Biberian (19 February 1944 – 27 January 2023) was a British guitarist and composer. Born in Istanbul, Turkey of Greek-Armenian heritage. Biberian’s ethnic roots was integral to his compositions. He studied at Trinity College of Music, graduating in 1968. In 1965 a French Government grant took him to France to study with Ida Presti and Alexandre Lagoya. He studied composition with James Patten, Elisabeth Lutyens and Hans Keller, as well as widening and enriching his musical knowledge by working with non-guitarists Anthony Kinsella (piano) and Vic Bennett (clarinet). Biberian has played at the Proms, at Covent Garden and has performed concertos and given solo recitals worldwide. He has always enthusiastically encouraged and championed the creation of new compositions for guitar. New works have been written for and/or dedicated to him (for solo and ensemble) by James Patten, Elisabeth Lutyens, Reginald Smith Brindle, Alfred Nieman, Charles Camilleri, David Bedford, Roger Williams, Glen Morgan, Robert Keeley, Jeffrey Joseph, Kenneth Paige, Daniel Sturm, Vojislav Ivanovic, Betty Roe, Ivor Mairants, Geoffrey Burgon, Aurelio Peruzzi, Judith Bingham, Monique Cecconi-Botella

Harutyun Hanesyan

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Harutyun Hanesyan (; December 30, 1911 – March 7, 1987) was a Turkish violist and composer. He was Armenian by ethnicity. Biography Hanesyan was born on December 30, 1911, in Istanbul in the Ottoman Empire. He attended Esayan Lyceum and then Robert College. He graduated in 1931. Alongside his academic pursuits, Hanesyan took lessons in violin and theory from composer Haroutioun Sinanian. At the invitation of the local YMCA, he and his sister, pianist Anahid Hanesyan, presented a joint recital on May 29, 1932, launching a career in music. In 1944, Hanesyan joined the local symphony formed under the direction of composer Cemal Reşit Rey and remained with the ensemble until his retirement in 1972. During his tenure with the orchestra, he had many opportunities to play chamber music with Edgar Manas, Ekrem Zeki Ün, Lico Amar, Ferdi Statzer and Hüseyin Sadeddin Arel. Many of the public concerts were recorded and later broadcast on the Istanbul Municipal Radio Station. Following his retirement from the orchestra, Hanesyan established his own chamber orchestra in 1973 and performed many of his compositions in Istanbul and elsewhere. He recorded an LP, featuring some of his instrumental mu

Karen Khachaturian

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Karen Surenovich Khachaturian (, ; 19 September 1920 – 19 July 2011) was a Soviet and Russian composer of Armenian ethnicity, the nephew of composer Aram Khachaturian. Early life and education Karen Surenovich Khachaturian was born on 19 September 1920 in Moscow, the son of Suren Khachaturian, a theatrical director. His studies under Genrikh Litinsky at the Moscow Conservatory were interrupted by a term of duty in the entertainment division of the Red Army. Resuming his studies in 1945, he worked with Dmitri Shostakovich and Nikolai Myaskovsky. Career and works In addition to a Violin Sonata (1947), his works include a Cello Sonata (1966), a String Quartet (1969), four symphonies (1955, 1968, 1982, 1991) and a ballet, Cipollino (1973), as well as various other orchestral works and music for the theater and films. Rhythmic drive and a careful and idiomatic use of his instrumental forces characterize his compositions. He adopted a primarily tonal approach to composition. His works have been recorded by artists including David Oistrakh, Jascha Heifetz, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Vladimir Yampolsky. A recording of the opening of his first symphony was played in a lecture-demonstration

Konstantin Orbelyan

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Konstantin Aghaparonovich Orbelyan (; ; July 29, 1928 – April 24, 2014) was an Armenian pianist, composer, head of the State Estrada Orchestra of Armenia. He was awarded People’s Artist of the USSR in 1979. Other positions held by him included the board member of the Union of Soviet Composers, Armenian Composer’s Union secretary since 1983, and the Vice-President of All-Soviet Musical Society of the USSR. He was the uncle of his namesake Constantine Orbelian. Discography *“Государственный эстрадный оркестр Армении п/у Константина Орбеляна” (1968) As composer *“Birch Whispers” (), sung by Dmitri Hvorostovsky on the 2005 Delos Records compilation “Moscow Nights” (conducted by Constantine Orbelian). References External links * *Orbelyan in Jazz: XXth century Russian encyclopedia *Orbelyan *Orbelyan’s Official Website *Konstantin Orbelyan at All About Armenian Jazz

Konstantin Petrossian

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Konstantin Petrossian (; ; born 12 August 1946 in Yerevan, Armenia) is a composer, pianist and conductor. Petrossian graduated from the Romanos Melikian Music College and then earned a master’s degree in composition and musicology Komitas State Conservatory in Yerevan, where he graduated with a master’s degree in composition and musicology. He taught harmony, theory, and chorale arrangement at Romanos Melikian Music College. For many years he was also conductor of the Armenian TV/Radio Orchestra, and director of the Armenian Music Center. Petrossian is an Armenian composer of symphonic, choral, chamber, instrumental, and vocal music, sound tracks, and theater music. His works are performed, recorded and have been published worldwide. He is a member of the Composers Union of Armenia and is co-chair of its foreign relations department. He was on the Sacred Music Council of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern). He is director of the Music Center Department for the Composers Union of Armenia, and the vice president of the Armenian Peace Fund. Since 1995 he has been the cultural and music director of Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Church in Providence, Rhode Island. I

Loris Tjeknavorian

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Loris Haykasi Tjeknavorian (; ; born 13 October 1937) is an Iranian Armenian composer and conductor. He has appeared internationally as a conductor, serving as the principal conductor of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra from 1989 to 1998 and later from 1999 to 2000. As a composer Tjeknavorian has written 6 operas, 5 symphonies, choral works, chamber music, ballet music, piano and vocal works, concerti for piano, violin, guitar, cello and pipa, as well as music for documentary and feature films. Among his best known works are the opera Rostam and Sohrab, based on the story of Rostam and Sohrab from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, and the ballet Simorgh. After study at the Vienna Music Academy, with Carl Orff at the Salzburg Mozarteum and the University of Michigan, he taught at the Tehran Conservatory. While based in the United Kingdom 1975 to 1985, he was a frequent conductor with various London orchestras and appeared internationally with orchestras in Iran, Israel, Japan, the Soviet Union and the United States. His early compositions evoke the work of Aram Khachaturian, while his oeuvre as a whole is heavily influenced by Armenian folk and sacred music. Tjeknavorian’s early life was suc

Petros Shoujounian

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Petros Shoujounian (born 1957) is an Armenian Canadian composer who focuses on orchestral, piano, chamber, and choral music. Life Petros Shoujounian was born in Gyumri (then Leninakan, Armenia in 1957. Works Orchestral *Akhtamar, bassoon, small orchestra (1983) *Trois miniatures, 12 or more strings, (1984) *Rhapsodie, cello, small orchestra (1985) *Sayat nova (suite concertante), vibraphone (+ xylophone, marimba), orchestra (1988–92) *Concerto, cello, string orchestra (1995) Chamber music *Suite, violin (1968–74) *Horovele, clarinet (1979) *Arax, string quartet, (1980) *Dzez – à vous, piano, triangle (1982) *Hour, ondes Martenot (1983) *Funny Dialogues, 2 violins (1985) *Le jeu, violin, cello, piano, (1985) *Kour – Fleuve, string quartet (1985) *Sassouni, piccolo, alto flute, harpsichord (1985) *Monologue 1, viola (1985) *Monologue 2, guitar (1985) *Monologue 3, percussion (1985) *Monologue 4, cello (1986) *Cinq danses arméniennes, piano, vibraphone (1987) *Odzouny, ondes Martenot, ensemble (1987) *Arevagal, bassoon, French horn, viola (1991) *Artsakh, 4 ondes Martenot (1993) Choral *Ararat: Poème symphonique (text by Mardiros Kavukjian), soprano, alto, tenor, bass, mixed chorus, l

Raffi Armenian

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Raffi Armenian, (born June 4, 1942) is a Canadian conductor, pianist, composer, and teacher. He directed the Kitchener–Waterloo Symphony orchestra for many years. Since 1999 he has been the director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Toronto. From 2008 to 2011 he was the director of the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal. Early life and education Armenian was born in Cairo and had his first music lessons there, moving in 1959 to Vienna to study piano with Bruno Seidlhofer. After graduating, he put his musical studies aside and attended the University of London from 1962 to 1965, where he majored in metallurgy. He returned to the Vienna Academy of Music and studied from 1965 to 1969. In 1968, Armenian was one of two finalists at the International Competition for Young Conductors in Besançon, France. Career Armenian emigrated to Canada in 1969 to become the assistant conductor of the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. From 1971 to 1993, he was the artistic director and conductor of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Under Armenian’s guidance, the K-W Symphony developed from an amateur ensemble in the mid-1970s to a professional orchestra. A

Robert Amirkhanyan

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Robert Babkeni Amirkhanyan (; born November 16, 1939) is an Armenian composer and songwriter. He is a professor at the Yerevan State Conservatory. He wrote over 300 songs, vocal series, operettas. Career In 1969 Amirkhanyan graduated from the Yerevan State Conservatory, class of Eduard Mirzoyan. From 1969 to 1972 Amirkhanyan was the musical editor of Armenian Radio. From 1991 to 2013, he served as the President of the Union of Composers of Armenia. He is an author of many popular Armenian songs (“Hayreni yerkir”, “Hayi achker”, “Ding-dong”, “Arise!”, “Arevot andzrev”), soundtracks of films, animation cartoons, operettas, as well as the first Armenian musical, entitled “The Oriental Dentist”. He wrote music for 16 feature films and about 30 animated films. His songs were performed by Raisa Mkrtchyan, Muslim Magomayev, Larisa Mondrus. According to Mir TV, “in the Soviet Union, everyone knew him for his music”. Amirkhanyan’s “Variations for String Quartet” won the first prize in the Young Composers’ Competition of the USSR in 1969. In 1973 Amirkhanyan’s song “Where Are You Boys” won the “Best Song” award at the Berlin City World Youth Festival. In 1975 his composition “Autumn Melody”

Ruben Sargsyan

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Ruben Sargsyan, also seen as Sarkisyan (; November 22, 1945 – April 6, 2013 ), was an Armenian composer, laureate of the State Award of Armenia, professor of the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory. Biography Ruben Sargsyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia, in the family of scientist agronome Suren Sargsyan. He first began to study at the Sayat-Nova Music School, then continued his education at the Romanos Melikian Music College. At the second year of college education he has been recommended and transferred to the music composition class of the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, where he studied with professor Ghazaros Saryan. He graduated from the Conservatory in 1972 and became a member of the Composers’ Union. In 1973-1985 Ruben Sargsyan has been teaching Music Theory and Solfege at the Yerevan Music School No.10. In 1987-2013 he has taught Music Composition and Modern Composition Technology at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory. In 2004 became a Professor of Music. In 1994 Ruben Sargsyan, along with other modern Armenian composers and musicologists, established the Armenian Musical Assembly, non-governmental, non-for-profit organization, intended to promote and support modern

Tigran Mansurian

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Tigran Yeghiayi Mansurian (; born January 27, 1939) is a leading Armenian composer of classical and film music, People’s Artist of the Armenian SSR (1990), and Honored Art Worker of the Armenian SSR (1984). He is the author of orchestral, chamber, choir, and vocal works which have been played across the world. Biography Mansurian was born in Beirut, Greater Lebanon on January 27, 1939. His family moved to the Armenian SSR in 1947 and settled in Yerevan in 1956, where he continued his education. He studied first at the Romanos Melikian Music School under the Armenian composer Edvard Baghdasaryan and later at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory. During his years of study, he wrote different works of varied genres and was awarded for some of them. He taught modern music theory at the Conservatory from 1967 to 1986. He was the Rector of the Conservatory from 1992 to 1995. An ECM album of Mansurian’s music, Monodia, was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for “Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra)” and “Best Classical Contemporary Composition”. In 2017, ECM’s recording of Mansurian’s Requiem was nominated for two Grammys. The Requiem received the Presidential Awar

Vartan Adjemian

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Vartan Adjemian (, , ; born 27 April 1956) is an Armenian composer of orchestral, operatic, and chamber music whose works have been performed worldwide. Career Adjemian studied composition with prominent Armenian composer Ghazaros Saryan (son of Martiros Saryan) at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory from 1973 to 1981. In 1987, Adjemian was awarded the National Prize of the Armenian SSR (for his Symphony No. 1). His music has been performed in Armenia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Georgia, Iceland, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the United States. In 2007, six of his major works were commissioned by BIM Edition (Switzerland). He has been a member of SUISA since 2008. Adjemian has taught composition at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory since 1987 and was appointed a professor in 2001. He has been Head of the Composition Department since 2002. Family His grandfather, Vardan Ajemian (1905–1977), was the General Stage Director of the National Theatre of Armenia and his grandmother was Arus Asryan (1904–1987), one of the leading actress of the same theatre. His father, Alexander Adjemian (1925–1987), was a composer, author of seven symphonies, cha