Hambardzum Berberian

Hambardzum Berberian was born in the city of Adana, Western Armenia. During the Armenian Genocide of 1915, he migrated to Aleppo, Syria, and later to Athens, Greece. In 1930, he completed his studies in both violin and composition at the Athens Conservatory, and then moved to Paris to continue his professional development. His first concert took place in Athens in 1923. Subsequently, he performed in various countries across the Middle East and in several cities throughout the United States. In 1931, Berberian served as the dean of the Hellenic Conservatory in Cyprus. In 1945, at the invitation of Catholicos Garegin I of Cilicia, he moved to Lebanon, where he taught in Armenian schools and at the National Conservatory of Beirut. He moved to the United States in 1962. Throughout his career, he authored a number of symphonic works and performed several concerts of his own original compositions in Armenia. In 1970, he was appointed the General Musical Director of the Armenian communities in the US and Canada for the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU). In 1981, he was honored with the Komitas Prize by the Union of Composers of Armenia. He passed away in the state of Massachusetts, USA.