Arsen Grigoryan

Born in Yerevan. In 1980 Arsen Grigoryan graduated from Secondary School No. 148. He inherited his musical abilities from his grandfather, the duduk player Andranik Gevorgyan, and from his maternal uncle, Harutyun Gevorgyan, a duduk player of the A. Merangulyan Ensemble. In 1980 he took solfeggio and theory lessons from the composer Ruben Ghazaryan. In 1980 he entered the folk instruments department of the Faculty of Culture of the Kh. Abovyan Pedagogical University. He graduated in 1984 and was conscripted into the Soviet Army. In 1986 he joined the newly founded "Krunk" ("Crane") dance ensemble led by Azat Gharibyan as a duduk player. In 1987, at the invitation of the composer M. Beglaryan, he joined the A. Merangulyan Honored State Ensemble as a duduk player, and since 1992 he has been the concertmaster of the ensemble's duduk players and a soloist. In 1990 he played at the Armenian concerts of the world-famous Ian Gillan. He recorded on Ara Gevorgyan's album "Van". Since 1994 he has performed in concerts with the ensemble in Syria, the USA, France and elsewhere. Arsen Grigoryan's recordings are kept in the archive of the Public Radio of Armenia. He has released 2 CDs: "Hayots guyner" ("Armenian Colours") and "Mtorumner" ("Reflections").