Music Masters of Armenia

Soprano Anna Mayilian was born in Yerevan, Armenia, and studied singing at the Romanos Melikian College of Music, before going on to the National Music School. She has made concert appearances as a classical Western-style singer at many different European festivals – in Strasbourg, Warsaw, Slovakia, Macedonia, the Czech Republic, but she is also known for her remarkable performances of old traditional songs and religious songs from the Armenian repertoire. Tar virtuoso Hovhannes Darpinian was born in Beirut, Lebanon, but has lived in Armenia since he was six. He inherited his love for this instrument from his father. He holds a diploma from the Romanos Melikian College of Music, and teaches the tar at the National Conservatoire, as well as being musical director of the choir of Ejmiatsin Cathedral, the seat of the Armenian Catholicossate. He plays as a soloist on the Armenian National Radio and has written several books on the tar. Kamanche player Hagop Khalatian was born in 1956 in Yerevan, Armenia. After being awarded a distinction by the Romanos Melikian College of Music, he entered the National Conservatoire. In 1986 he was a prizewinner at the Transcaucasian international musicians' competition in Baku, Azerbaijan. Since 1982 he has been a soloist with the Aram Merangulian Ensemble for Popular Music on the national radio; he also teaches kamanche at the Romanos Melikian College of Music. Varazdat Hovhannissyan is a master of the duduk. He was born in 1977 in Yerevan, Armenia. He began his studies at the Tigran Music School, then went on to the National Conservatoire at Yerevan. Since 1991 he has made numerous appearances with traditional music groups in festivals and tour dates in Germany, Iran, Italy, Iraq, Norway, Turkey and France. Also a duduk master, Armen Ghazarian was born in 1979 in Ejmiatsin, Armenia, and studied at the Tigranian School of Music before going on to the Mekhitar Sebastasi College of Music. In 1999 he was granted a post in the Khatchadur Abovian State Teaching Institute, which has enabled him to devote himself to the full-time study of traditional and popular instruments from Armenia. He is a member of several traditional music groups. Finally, Robert Durrunts complete the group on the dhol and daf drums. He was born in 1962 in Baku, Azerbaijan, and has been playing the dhol since he was eight years old. He worked with the Erebuni Ensemble, then with the Pyunik and Ghukas Ghukasian groups. He won a prize as the dhol player with the Erebuni Ensemble in the Transcaucasian Musicians’ Competition. From 1979 to 1981 he was a soloist with the Armenian Concert Ensemble.