Romanos Melikian

Romanos Melikian was born in Ghzlar, Dagestan. He received his primary education at a local school. From 1902 to 1905, he studied at Rostov-on-Don Music School. In 1906 Melikian entered Moscow Conservatory in the class of Boris Yavorsky. From 1910 to 1914, Melikian studied at St. Petersburg Conservatory under the tuition of Professors M. Steinberg and V. Kalafate. In 1908 he initiated and organised the "Musical League" company in Tbilisi. In 1921, with the invitation of the Soviet Government, Melikian moved to Yerevan and headed the organizing work of the Music Studio (1921), then the Conservatory (1923). In 1924 Melikian left for Stepanakert, established a musical college, then left for Tbilisi, where he headed the works of the Armenian music section and music studio, returning to Yerevan after two years. He is one of the founders of the Yerevan Opera Theater (now Alexander Spendiaryan) and the first artistic director of the theater. Melikian died in Tbilisi but was buried in Yerevan.