Vahram Sargsyan (alternate transliterations include Sarkissian or Sargissian, Armenian: Վահրամ Սարգսյան; born 28 May 1981,

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

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 ''O ...

) is an Armenian

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

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 Def ...

choral conductor Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as an orchestral or choral concert. It has been defined as "the art of directing the simultaneous performance of several players or singers by the use of gesture." The primary duties ...

and experimental vocalist currently living in

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...

, Canada.

Biography

Vahram Sargsyan studied at the P. Tchaikovsky Musical College, at the Music Theory Faculty. He then studied

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...

with Ashot Zohrabyan at the

Yerevan Komitas State 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 ...

from 1998 to 2003, where he also studied conducting with Tigran Hekekyan from 2000 to 2006 and where he has had post-graduate studies in composition again with Ashot Zohrabyan from 2005 to 2007. Currently he is working towards his master's degree in composition at Schulich School of Music,

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Univer ...

with

Philippe Leroux Philippe Leroux (born 24 September 1959) is a French composer living in Montreal, Quebec, who has been identified as "one of the most important composers in contemporary music." Biography Leroux was born in Boulogne-Billancourt. He studied compo ...

. Sargsyan's music has been performed in Armenia, UK, Germany, Austria,

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

, Sweden,

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

, Belgium, Russia,

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

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, Italy, Japan, Canada, as well as in the United States. His composition Luis Zvart was performed at the 6th World Symposium on Choral Music (

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

2002). His arrangement of Khorurd Metz (Great Mystery) is included in the

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...

anthology World Carols for Choirs (2005) and has been recorded by

BBC Singers The BBC Singers are a British chamber choir, and the professional chamber choir of the BBC. One of the six BBC Performing Groups, the BBC Singers are based at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios in London. The only full-time professional British ...

. It has been broadcast by

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also featuring. The sta ...

. He has had commissions from Oxford University Press (UK), A.R.CO.VA.(Italy), Boston Choral Ensemble (USA),

Norddeutscher Rundfunk Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR; ''Northern German Broadcasting'') is a public radio and television broadcaster, based in Hamburg. In addition to the city-state of Hamburg, NDR broadcasts for the German states of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommer ...

(Germany), AGBU Foundation (USA),

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined belo ...

and others. Sargsyan's work Hunting the Hunter was premiered under his own baton in 2012 at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...

. Vahram Sargsyan's name has appeared in Who is Who in Choral Music since 2007. He is a member of Union of Composers and Musicologists of Armenia. He served as a music consultant for European Choral Association - Europa Cantat from 2010 to 2012.

Awards

*The winner award in the POLYPHONOS 2017 Commission Competition (

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...

, USA 2016) *Third prize in the Godfrey Ridout Awards from the Socan Foundation (2012, for Tribulationes); *The winner award in the 3rd BCE Commission Competition (

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, USA 2010, for Tribulationes) *1st prize in the International Contest for New Choral Compositions (

Petrinja Petrinja () is a town in central Croatia near Sisak in the historic region of Banovina. It is administratively located in Sisak-Moslavina County. On December 29, 2020, the town was hit by a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 , causin ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

2009, for Anegh Bnutiun); *An award from the

World Armenian Congress The World Armenian Congress ( hy, Համաշխարհային հայկական կոնգրես), also known as the Congress of World Armenian Organizations, is an international union of Armenian public organizations. History The World Armenian Co ...

“for creative achievements” (2009, for Mythis); *Co-winner award at the European Seminar for Young ComposersEuropa Cantat: European Seminar for Young Composers: http://www.imc-cim.org/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=11&year=2008&month=07&day=13&Itemid=203 (

Aosta Aosta (, , ; french: Aoste , formerly ; frp, Aoûta , ''Veulla'' or ''Ouhta'' ; lat, Augusta Praetoria Salassorum; wae, Augschtal; pms, Osta) is the principal city of Aosta Valley, a bilingual region in the Italian Alps, north-northwest o ...

, Italy 2008, for Laudate Dominum); *An award in the Choral Composition Competition in

, Armenia (2006, for Tantum ergo).

Selected works

Orchestral

*Ter yete - God, if (

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning o ...

), mixed chorus, large

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

(64 players), 2003 *Mythis, 18 strings, 2008

Chamber music

*Five Images,

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

, 1996 *Poem, cello, piano, 1998 *Sonatina,

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitch ...

, piano, 1999 *String Quartet, 2000 *Music for 13, large ensemble (13 players), 2002 *Selbstvergessenheit, 2 clarinets, cello, piano, 2006 *Deux Silhouettes Féminines (texts by Paul Fort, Yeghishe Charents), soprano, clarinet,

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

, cello, piano, 2007 *Hunting the Hunter, clarinet,

marimba The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...

, 2 violins, viola, cello, piano, 2012 *deperson, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 2013 *Gandz, large ensemble, 2013

Choral

*Tkhur meran - Sadly Departed (text by Vahan Terian), female chorus, 1999 *Kesgisher - Midnight (text by Vahan Terian), mixed chorus, 1999 *Voghormya - Lord, Have Mercy (text from

Psalm 50 Psalm 50, a Psalm of Asaph, is the 50th psalm from the Book of Psalms in the Bible, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down ...

rmenian translation, mixed chorus, 2000 *Luys Zvart - Joyful Light (text from an ancient Greek sacred text rmenian translation, female chorus, 2001 (also version for mixed chorus, 2006) *Lux aeterna, mixed chorus, 2004 *Tantum ergo (text by St.

Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas, Dominican Order, OP (; it, Tommaso d'Aquino, lit=Thomas of Aquino, Italy, Aquino; 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest who was an influential List of Catholic philo ...

), mixed chorus, 2006 *Domine Deus (text from the

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...

), 7 mixed voices, 2007 *Laudate Dominum (text from

Psalm 150 Psalm 150 is the 150th and final psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Praise ye the . Praise God in his sanctuary". In Latin, it is known as "Laudate Dominum in sanctis eius". In Psalm 150, the psalmist ...

), mixed chorus, 2008 *Anegh Bnutiun (text by St. Nerses Shnorhali), female chorus, 2008 (also version for male chorus, 2009) *Dzaynik (text by Komitas Vardapet), female chorus, 2009 *Ilik (folk text), female chorus, 2009 *Stabat Mater, mixed chorus, 2010 *Tribulationes (excerpts from the Psalms), mixed chorus, 2010 *Wage Peace (text by Judyth Hill), mixed chorus, 2011

Piano

*Visions, 1997 *Variations, 1999

Arrangements

*Sirt im sasani - My Heart Is Grieving over Judas (13th-century Armenian choral), mixed chorus, 2002; *Khorurd metz ( Movses Khorenatsi), mixed chorus, 2002 *Ousti Guqas (

Sayat-Nova Sayat-Nova ( Armenian: Սայեաթ-Նովայ ( сlassical), Սայաթ-Նովա ( reformed); ka, საიათნოვა; ; ; born Harutyun Sayatyan; 14 June 1712 – 22 September 1795) was an Armenian poet, musician and ''ashugh'', w ...

), clarinet, marimba, cello, 2012

References

External links

Vahram Sargsyan at the Armenian National Music websiteJoyful Light by Little Singers of Armenia, cond. Tigran HekekyanTribulationes by Boston Choral Ensemble, cond. Miguel Felipe
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sargsyan, Vahram Musicians from Yerevan Armenian composers Armenian conductors (music) Armenian choral conductors 1981 births 21st-century classical composers Living people Male classical composers 21st-century Armenian musicians 21st-century conductors (music) 21st-century male musicians