Ari Yar Jan

Born in the city of Adana in Western Armenia. He came to Yerevan during the exodus of 1915. He graduated from the Yerevan Conservatory in 1928 and from the Leningrad Conservatory in 1934, qualifying as a choral conductor (teachers: Romanos Melikyan, Spiridon Melikyan, Alexander Yegorov) and as an oboist (teachers: Wilhelm Sperling, F. Neumann). From 1934 he taught at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory (professor from 1971). In 1935-36 he reorganised and led the choir of the Yerevan Conservatory. He led the State Choir of Armenia, which he himself had organised (1937-39, 1947-49), the Armenian Folk Song and Dance Ensemble (1938-70) and the choir of the Choral Society of Armenia (1966-69). From 1958 to 1973 he was president of the Choral Society of Armenia. He toured with concerts in the USSR, Hungary, Albania, Lebanon and elsewhere. In 1945 he was awarded the title of People's Artist of Armenia, in 1965 that of People's Artist of the USSR, and in 1950 the USSR State Prize. He died in Yerevan. The State Song and Dance Ensemble of Armenia was named after him (1974).