Gishrerny Ekav, Hov Zovn Ynkav

Born in Yerevan. In 1975 he graduated from the piano class of the Sayat-Nova Music School in Yerevan, in 1979 from the choral conducting department of the R. Melikyan Music College in Yerevan, in 1982 from the Faculty of Philology of the Khachatur Abovyan Armenian State Pedagogical Institute in Yerevan, and in 1987 from the choral conducting department of the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, where he also completed postgraduate studies. Since 1985 he has taught at the Yerevan Conservatory (professor since 1999). From 1984 to 2002 he was artistic director and chief conductor of the Chamber Choir of the National Radio of Armenia. In 1993 he founded the international association “Armenian Little Singers”, of which he is president, and he is artistic director and chief conductor of its children's choir “Little Singers of Armenia”. Since 2003 he has been director of the Sayat-Nova Music School in Yerevan. He has organised a number of international and national competitions and festivals. In 1996 he was awarded the Movses Khorenatsi Order of the RA, in 2001 the title “Ambassador of Culture in Europe” by the European Academy of Choral Art, in 2002 the title of Honorary Citizen of Yerevan, in 2007 the Leonardo da Vinci silver medal of the European Academy of Natural Sciences, in 2009 the Marshal Baghramyan Medal of the Ministry of Defence of the RA, and in 2010 the title of Honored Teacher of Armenia and the gold medal of the Ministry of Education and Science of the RA.