Haro Stepanyan

He was born in Elizavetpol (now Gandzak). After graduating from the gymnasium he volunteered for the army and took part in the First World War (1914–18). From 1919 he studied for one year at the Tiflis Conservatory, in the piano department under K. Aduralova and the music theory and composition department under Anushavan Ter-Ghevondyan. From 1920 he worked as a teacher, first in Sanahin, then in Alexandrapol (now Gyumri). In 1923–26 he studied at the Gnessin Music College in Moscow, in M. Gnessin's composition class. In 1930 he graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory in V. Shcherbachov's composition class. In 1927–29 he took part in the folk music collecting expedition organised by Kristapor Kushnaryan. In 1930 he settled permanently in Yerevan. In 1930–34 he taught at the Yerevan Conservatory (from 1934 as associate professor). In 1939–47 he was chairman of the Union of Composers of Armenia. He was one of the first Armenian composers to create large-scale symphonic works based on the intonations of Armenian folk music. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour and the Order of the Badge of Honour. In 1960 he was awarded the title of People's Artist of Armenia. He died in Yerevan.