Khachatur Avetisyan (14 April 1926–1996) (

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

: Խաչատուր Ավետիսյան, ''Xačatur Avetisyan''; alternate transliterations include Avetisian or Avetissian) was an influential

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

, conductor and kanun player.

Early life and career

Khachatur Mekhaki Avetisyan (

: Խաչատուր Մեխակի Ավետիսյան) was born on April 14, 1926 in

Leninakan Gyumri ( hy, Գյումրի, ) is an urban municipal community and the second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th century, when the city w ...

Armenian SSR The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...

(now

Gyumri Gyumri ( hy, Գյումրի, ) is an urban municipal community and the second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th century, when the city w ...

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

). He graduated from the

Yerevan State Musical Conservatory Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan ( hy, Երևանի Կոմիտասի անվան պետական կոնսերվատորիա), also known as Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory (YKSC) or Yerevan State Conservatory (YSC), is a state-owned colleg ...

where he studied composition under professor Edvard Mirzoyan. At age 25 Avetisyan became the first Armenian composer honored with gold medals in the

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

and

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

international competitions. In addition to his studies in

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

, Avetisyan became an authority in Armenian folk music and traditional instruments, especially the kanun.Mark Jenkins
"Music From Armenia"
''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', 8 February 2008 He composed the first Concerto for Kanun and Symphony Orchestra in 1954. Avetisyan dedicated his creative life to researching and developing the performance practice of the Armenian folk music. Avetisyan founded the folk music department of the Komitas National Conservatory in 1978 where, under his guidance, an entire generation of master instrumentalists was trained. He created numerous famous compositions,

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

, film and dance music, as well as a large number of works for various folk instruments. In 1958, he assumed the role of the artistic director of Armenian National Dance Ensemble, and later, the Tatul Altunyan Song and Dance Ensemble, where his new folk instrumental and vocal music became a staple of the performance repertory.

Personal life

Avetisyan married Armenian folk dancer Sona Avetisyan. His son Dr.

Mikael Avetisyan Mikael Avetisyan ( hy, Միքայել Ավետիսյան; born 1966) is an Armenian Conducting, conductor, Professor. He was the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra from 1998 to 1999. Doctor of Music. Biogr ...

is the former conductor of

Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra The Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra (''ANPO'') (Armenian: Հայաստանի ազգային ֆիլհարմոնիկ նվագախումբ) is the national orchestra of Armenia. It was founded in 1925 as a symphony orchestra of the Yerevan S ...

, Yerevan State Symphony Orchestra, and guest conductor with various European orchestras. He is currently the music director of the Armenian Society of Los Angeles Choir. Khachatur Avetisyan died in 1996, in

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Avetisyan Khachatur 1926 births 1996 deaths People from Gyumri Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan alumni Armenian composers Soviet composers Soviet male composers 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century composers 20th-century male musicians