Garbis Aprikian (born 1926) is a musician from the

Armenian Diaspora The Armenian diaspora refers to the communities of Armenians outside Armenia and other locations where Armenians are considered an indigenous population. Since antiquity, Armenians have established communities in many regions throughout the world. ...

. He has composed many vocal and instrumental works in which Western musical technique (counterpoint, fugue...) marries Armenian melodies. As a performer, Garbis Aprikian has directed for about fifty years the Armenian mixed chorus of Paris Sipan-Komitas. His contribution in the European knowledge of the works of

Komitas Soghomon Soghomonian, ordained and commonly known as Komitas, ( hy, Կոմիտաս; 22 October 1935) was an Armenian priest, musicologist, composer, arranger, singer, and choirmaster, who is considered the founder of the Armenian national scho ...

, Ganatchian and Alemshah is crucial .

Biography

Born in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

, in 1926, Garbis Aprikian took part in the cultural and artistic life of this cosmopolitan city when he was very young . He studied at primary school "Armenian National Boghossian," then the American College. From the age of ten he began a serious musical learning with a student of Pietro Mascagni, the maestro Frapicini who took care of his artistic education: piano, then harmony, counterpoint and fugue. In 1948, Garbis Aprikian founded the mixed chorus Hamazkaine with which he gave, in Alexandria and in Cairo, a series of concerts. The success encouraged members of the association Houssaper to assign him a scholarship to complete his training in Europe. Garbis Aprikian arrived in Paris where he studied composition and conducting of orchestra at the Ecole Normale of Music with Simone Plé-Caussade,

Tony Aubin Tony Louis Alexandre Aubin (8 December 1907 – 21 September 1981) was a French composer. Career Aubin was born in Paris. From 1925 to 1930, he studied at the Paris Conservatory under Samuel Rousseau (composer), Samuel Rousseau (music theory), ...

and

Jean Fournet Jean Fournet (14 April 1913 – 3 November 2008) was a French flautist and conductor. Fournet was born in Rouen in 1913. His father was a flutist who gave him some instruction on the flute and music theory. Fournet was then trained at the Con ...

and took a course of musical aesthetics by

Olivier Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist who was one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex; harmonically ...

at the Conservatoire national. The Armenian mixed chorus then sought him to replace Kourkène Alemshah, conductor and composer of talent gone to middle age. Since then, his life and work are inseparable from activities of the choir he directs . For the chorus, Garbis Aprikian composes and harmonizes popular melodies and old patriotic songs, more than two hundred religious, profane or folk works. For the first time in 1991, he was invited by the Armenian authorities to go to

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 ...

, where he performed in a concert his own works and those of the composers of the

The works of Garbis Aprikian

'' List of works of Garbis Aprikian''

Creations

* Kovk—praises and wishes—for chorus * Hymn—blessings—for chorus * Scherzo—rejoicing—for chorus * Little Nuptial Suite—in 4 movements for mezzo, harp and cello * Oror—Lullaby for mezzo, harp and cello (and a chorus version) * Sweet is the night—melody with piano * Ledjag—melody with piano * Lamento—complaint of an orphan * Nocturne—Fugue * Es Kechir—dance for solo, chorus and orchestra * Ninam—Niman—dance for solo, chorus and orchestra * Dark Sky—for chorus and orchestra * Nocturne—on a theme by Komitas for solo, chorus and orchestra * Tchellar—Tchellar—Divertimento for soli, chorus and orchestra * Orchestral Prelude—on a poem of Gh. Aghayan for orchestra * The birth of David of Sassoon—profane oratorio

Works of Ganatchian entirely revised enhanced and orchestrated

* Nanor—Description of a pilgrimage – for soli, chorus and orchestra * Aphegha'n—Holy Legend—Lyric drama in one act—Harmonization—Orchestration and arrangements

From popular sources

* Hay Yeghpaïne—for chorus and orchestra * Togh Gorentchin—for chorus and orchestra * Iprev Ardziv—for chorus and orchestra * Lamentation of Vaspourakan—for chorus and orchestra * Karahissar—for solo, chorus and orchestra

From Komitas

* ''"Braves of Sipan—for chorus and orchestra * Gali Yerk—for soli, chorus and orchestra

From Patmagrian

* Haralé—for soli, chorus and orchestra * Yar Gula—for chorus and orchestra * Yalali—for chorus and orchestra * Six Armenian songs for piano to young pianists

From Ganatchian

* The willow—melody with orchestra * The dream of Alvarte—melody with orchestra * Choucho—for chorus with orchestra * With the Roses—for chorus and orchestra

Honours

* 1989 Medal of Saint Nerces Chenorali by

Vasken I Vazgen I also Vazken I of Bucharest, (), born Levon Garabed Baljian ( hy, Լևոն Կարապետ Աբրահամի Պալճյան; September 20, 1908 – August 18, 1994) was the Catholicos of All Armenians between 1955 and 1994, for a total of 39 ...

Catholicos Catholicos, plural Catholicoi, is a title used for the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and in some cases it is the title of the head of an autonomous church. The word comes from ancient ...

of all Armenians * 1993 Medal of Saint Mesrop Machtots by Garéguine II Nersissian of the Great House Of Cilicie * 1994 Medal of Sahak-Mesrop by Vasken I * 1994"Vermeil" Medal of the City of Paris awarded by

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Ma ...

* 2004 Knight of Arts and Letters * 2007 Medal of the City of Marseille

References

Nouvelles Armenie Magazine forum commentary on ''Six chants arméniens'' by Aprikian, accessed 8 February 2010

Gulbenkian Foundation grant notice, accessed 8 February 2010

Asbarez Post notice of honour given to Aprikian, accessed 8 February 2010

External links

Garbis Kaprikian Chorale Sipan-Komitas (Choeur Mixte Arménien de Paris) (French), accessed 8 February 2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aprikian, Garbis 1926 births Egyptian people of Armenian descent Living people Musicians from Alexandria Egyptian emigrants to France École Normale de Musique de Paris alumni Conservatoire de Paris alumni