Alumni

From 1938 to 1944, he studied at the Sayat-Nova Music School of Yerevan. From 1947 to 1952, he studied orchestral conducting and theory at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan in the classes of Professors Sarajev and Tigranov. After completing his studies, he worked as a trainee with the USSR State Orchestra. From 1953 to 1963, he was a conductor at the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theatre. He again served there as conductor from 1966 to 1974 and in 1976. From 1973 to 1974, he was Chief Conductor of the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theatre; from 1964 to 1966, Chief Conductor of the Saratov Opera Theatre; and from 1966 to 1968 and 1992 to 1994, Chief Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the State Television and Radio Committee of Armenia. From 1969, he taught at the Yerevan Conservatory, becoming a professor in 1979. From 1980 to 2000, he served as Chief Conductor of the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theatre.

From 1952 to 1959, he studied at the Sayat-Nova Music School and later at the Romanos Melikyan Music College. During his second year, he was admitted to the Composition Department of the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan. In 1972, he graduated from the composition class of Ghazaros Saryan.

From 1987, he taught composition at the Yerevan Conservatory, as well as the course «Technology of Contemporary Music», which he developed himself.

In 1994, he was one of the founders of the «Armenian Musical Assembly» public organization.

He was born into a family of artists. From an early age, he was closely connected with the world of theatre, spending much of his time alongside his grandfather, Vardan Achemyan, and surrounded by prominent and talented artists.

From 1962 to 1969, he studied at the Sayat-Nova Music School. From 1973 to 1978, he studied at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan in the composition class of Ghazaros Saryan. Among the finest works he wrote during his student years are the «Symphonic Poem», the «Cycle of Folk Songs», and the Polyphonic Sonata.

An important testament to his artistic growth during his years of study was the opera «The Death of Kikos», which the composer presented as his graduation work. In 1981, he completed postgraduate studies at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan.

From 1986 to 1988, he taught at the Alexey Hekimyan Music School, and from 1995 to 2003 he worked at the Sayat-Nova Music School as a composition teacher. Since 1987, he has worked at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, where he teaches orchestration and instrumentation, and since 1995, composition as well.

He received his initial music education at the Sayat-Nova Music School of Yerevan and later studied in the Vocal Department of the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan in the class of Professor Arshavir Karapetyan. In 1982-1983, he sang at Milan’s «La Scala» opera house. In 1985, he continued his studies at the Moscow Conservatory in the class of Professor Yevgeny Nesterenko. From 1980, he was a soloist of the Yerevan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and later a soloist with the Alexandrov Ensemble of the Russian Armed Forces. In 1990, he performed at London’s «Wigmore Hall», an appearance that brought him wide recognition. In the early 1990s, he performed in European cities and in Australia, where he received a Special Prize for his portrayal of Mephistopheles in the opera «Faust». From 2002 to 2005, he gave solo concerts in numerous cities in the United States, Austria, Canada, Germany, China, and Japan. He also participated in the Days of Armenian Culture held in Saint Petersburg. He was elected Vice President of the International Academy of Sciences on Nature and Society. He has performed at Covent Garden, Teatro Colón, opera houses in Los Angeles and Washington, the Metropolitan Opera, Victoria Opera, Sydney Opera House, Bavarian State Opera in Munich, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Vienna State Opera, Opéra Bastille, Opéra de Marseille, the Paris-Bercy complex, and renowned opera and philharmonic venues in Lyon, Astana, and elsewhere.

He studied at the Sayat-Nova Music School of Yerevan and later at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan in the class of Grigor Yeghiazaryan. The composer’s creative interests were consistently connected with genres of instrumental music. His significant works in symphonic music include three cycles of inventions for symphony orchestra, concert inventions for piano and orchestra, concertos for cello and orchestra, concertos for violin and orchestra, and works for piano and orchestra. In chamber music, his 30 «Invention Pieces» for orchestral instruments with piano accompaniment, two piano sonatas, the sonata-duet for violin and piano, the sonata for violin and piano, and the piano trio gained wide recognition. Hovunts’s works are based on a modal-tonal system of his own creation. A major part of G. Hovunts’s career was his teaching at the Yerevan State Conservatory, where for nearly 50 years he taught harmony, passing on his professional experience and substantial scholarly achievements from generation to generation.

He received his initial music education at the Sayat-Nova Music School of Yerevan, then continued his studies as a choral conductor at the Romanos Melikyan Music College, the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, and its postgraduate program. During his conducting career, he founded and directed a number of choirs, including the choir of the Spendiarian Music School, a laureate of national competitions (1982-1988), the Choir of the Committee of Youth Organizations (1986-1988), and the Chamber Choir of Armenian Radio and Television, a laureate of international competitions (1984-2002). In 1992, he founded the «Little Singers of Armenia» choir.

From 1975 to 1980, he studied at the Sayat-Nova Music School of Yerevan. He then continued his studies and graduated from the Composition and Cello Departments of the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan. After graduation, he continued his work in the genres of Armenian sacred and folk music. Grigor Arakelyan’s arrangements and compositions are performed in various countries by numerous Armenian ensembles.

In 1993, with the assistance of renowned Armenian instrument maker Martin Yeritsyan, he created a new type of Armenian instrument, the bass kemani, or Armenian viola, distinguished by a unique timbre characteristic of Armenian sacred music. With this instrument, arrangements of masterpieces of Armenian medieval music have been performed on renowned stages around the world, including Narekatsi’s songs "Gohar Vard" and "Achkn Tsov", Mashtots’s penitential hymns, and others.

He collaborates with orchestras and choirs in various countries as a conductor and soloist, including in the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, the United States, Armenia, France, Poland, and Portugal.

In 1961, he graduated from the Yerevan Conservatory in the class of Grigor Yeghiazaryan, and in 1964 completed postgraduate studies. From 1957 to 1964, he taught at the Avet Gabrielyan Music School of Yerevan. From 1957, he also taught at the Khachatur Abovyan Pedagogical Institute of Yerevan. From 1973 to 1986, he served as Secretary of the Composers’ Union of the Armenian SSR, and from 1974, of the Composers’ Union of the USSR.

His principal works include Symphony (1962), the choral poem «Armenia» (1963), the ballet «Prometheus» (1967, libretto by Yevgeny Changay; Komsomol Prize of the Armenian SSR, 1968), «Poem About Lenin» for voice, choir, and piano (1970), «Five Hymns of Sahak Partev» (1971, arranged for voice and piano), and others. Emin Aristakesyan’s ballet «Prometheus» was staged not only in Yerevan and other cities of the USSR, but also in Poland.

He studied at the Sayat-Nova Music School of Yerevan and graduated from the Yerevan Conservatory in 1967. From 1961 to 1992, he performed as a soloist with the Aram Merangulyan Folk Instruments Ensemble of the State Television and Radio Committee of Armenia, and from 1996 served as the ensemble’s Artistic Director. From 1992 to 1996, he was Artistic Director and soloist of the «Astgher» Ensemble. In 1986, he began teaching at the Yerevan College of Pop and Jazz Art, and from 1990 at the Yerevan Conservatory.

He won First Prize at the Republican Competition for the Best Performers of Sheram’s Songs (1961, Yerevan). At present, Ruben Matevosyan is the Artistic Director of the Honored Aram Merangulyan Folk Instruments Ensemble.

She received her initial music education in Alaverdi, then continued her studies at the Sayat-Nova Music School of Yerevan and the Romanos Melikyan Music College. From 1965 to 1968, she studied at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan in the class of Vache Umr-Shat, then continued at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory in the class of the distinguished pianist and teacher Yakov Zak. She graduated from the conservatory in 1971 and completed postgraduate studies in 1973.

Svetlana Navasardyan gained international recognition at a young age, becoming a laureate of the Robert Schumann International Competition, the Johann Sebastian Bach International Competition, the Queen Elisabeth International Competition in Brussels, and the Sydney International Piano Competition. She has performed on many prestigious stages around the world and collaborated with renowned conductors and musicians.

Since 1974, she has taught at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan. She is a People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia and has received numerous state awards. Svetlana Navasardyan is one of the most prominent representatives of Armenian piano performance.

She received her initial music education at the Sayat-Nova Music School of Yerevan. She later studied at and graduated from the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, first specializing in violin and then in operatic singing.

An important stage in the singer’s international career was her performance of the title role in Vincenzo Bellini’s opera «Norma» in Warsaw in 1993, after which she was invited to join the Bonn Opera. In subsequent years, Hasmik Papyan performed at leading opera houses and concert halls around the world, including Milan’s «La Scala», New York’s «Metropolitan Opera» and «Carnegie Hall», the Vienna State Opera, Opéra Bastille in Paris, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Teatro Real in Madrid, the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, and elsewhere.

Her repertoire gives a special place to operatic roles by Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Bellini, and other composers. Hasmik Papyan has also consistently represented Armenian music on international stages. In 2004, she was awarded the title of People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia.

He studied at the Sayat-Nova Music School of Yerevan. Among his first piano teachers were Luiza Margaryan and Georgy Sarajev. He later continued his studies at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory under Lev Naumov, Vera Gornostayeva, and Mikhail Pletnev.

Sergey Babayan’s international performing career began in 1989. He won first prizes at the Cleveland, Hamamatsu, and Scottish international piano competitions, quickly establishing himself as one of the recognized pianists of his generation.

He has performed in many prestigious concert halls around the world and collaborated with leading orchestras, conductors, and soloists. He has also been active as a teacher; among his students is the internationally acclaimed pianist Daniil Trifonov. Sergey Babayan is an artist of the prestigious recording label «Deutsche Grammophon».

She studied at the Sayat-Nova Music School of Yerevan. Her subsequent professional career has been associated with piano performance and music pedagogy, and she became one of the recognized representatives of the Armenian piano school.

Karine Ohanyan has taught for many years at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, where she headed the Department of Specialized Piano and Organ. She is a professor and an Honored Artist of the Republic of Armenia.

Through her teaching, numerous young pianists have developed who later continued their professional careers in Armenia and abroad. Karine Ohanyan regularly serves on professional juries of national and international music competitions.

She began her music education at the Sayat-Nova Music School of Yerevan and later continued her studies at the Romanos Melikyan Music College. From 1963 to 1968, she studied in the Piano Department of the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan.

From her student years, she performed with youth pop orchestras, and from 1968 she was a soloist with the Pop-Symphony Orchestra of Armenian Television and Radio. Raisa Mkrtchyan became the first performer of numerous songs by Arno Babajanyan, Konstantin Orbelyan, Robert Amirkhanyan, Alexander Achemyan, Martin Vardazaryan, and other Armenian composers.

More than 400 songs were recorded in her performance, a significant number of which are preserved in the «Golden Fund» of Armenian Radio and Television. She gave concerts in many countries around the world. From 2002, she taught at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan. In 2006, she was awarded the title of People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia.

He received his initial music education at the Sayat-Nova Music School of Yerevan. He then studied violin at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan in the class of Professor Viktor Khachatryan. He further developed his conducting skills under the guidance of renowned Armenian conductor Ohan Durian and also received professional advice from world-famous conductors Georg Solti, Claudio Abbado, and Nello Santi.

In 1991, he founded the «Serenade» Chamber Orchestra, which quickly gained recognition in Armenia and abroad, performing hundreds of concerts in European countries and receiving awards at international competitions.

In 2000, Eduard Topchyan was appointed Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra. Under his leadership, the orchestra has undertaken numerous international tours and appeared at prestigious festivals. As a guest conductor, he has collaborated with many leading symphony orchestras in Europe and other countries. Eduard Topchyan is an Honored Art Worker of the Republic of Armenia.