Hovhannes Veranyan

He was born in Constantinople. His forefathers were lawyers and doctors. His father was a clergyman. In 1915 the family emigrated to Greece. Even in childhood H. Veranyan's love of art was noticed; he had an exceptional voice. During the Second World War he went to Italy, entered the Milan Conservatory (choral conducting department) and sang at La Scala. After graduating he returned to Athens and began his concert career. He created a four-part choir and at the same time gave solo concerts. In 1946 he moved to Armenia. He was invited to the Yerevan Opera Theatre as a soloist (together with Gohar Gasparyan). Here he achieved great success. At the invitation of Tatul Altunyan, Hovhannes Veranyan performed as choirmaster with the State Choir of Armenia. He was the first to present in Armenia Rachmaninoff's opera "Aleko" and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. However, in 1949 he was accused of having worked in 1918 as editor of a Dashnak newspaper in Greece, when he had not even been born, and on such a charge H. Veranyan and his family were exiled to Siberia, to Altai Krai. A year later, however, having applied to the director of the Barnaul Philharmonic, he returned to musical work. There he achieved great success leading the philharmonic's choir. Two years later he returned to Armenia and was taken on at the Belinsky Russian School in Yerevan as a singing teacher. There he created a children's choir that won All-Union recognition. In the 1960s Hovhannes Veranyan was again invited to Tatul Altunyan's Song and Dance Ensemble as choirmaster, and worked there for 10 years. He brought the choir of the Sayat-Nova Music School, in which up to 150 singers took part, to the highest level. In 1972 Hovhannes Veranyan was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Armenia. He died in Yerevan.