Hovhannes Darbinyan was born in Beirut, Lebanon. In 1946 he moved to Armenia. In 1967 he graduated from the Choir Conductor Department and in 2001 from the Folk Instruments Division of Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan. He has been teaching at the Conservatory since 1980. From 1969 to 1972 he was the director of the Armenian ChoiralSociety. In 1993 he became the artistic director of the Etchmiadzin Mother Cathedral Choir. He has been a professor since 2004.