Faraway Country

Born in Leninakan (now Gyumri). From the age of 5 he attended violin lessons. In 1970 he moved to Yerevan. In 1975 he graduated from the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, from Grigor Yeghiazaryan's composition class and Hakob Vardanyan's violin class. In 1978 he also completed postgraduate studies under Professor Grigor Yeghiazaryan. Since 1975 he has taught at the Yerevan Conservatory (professor since 2013). In 1987-94 he was artistic director and conductor of the ancient Armenian music ensemble "Tagharan". From 1995 he was artistic director and conductor of the "Gusan" choir in Beirut, from 1996 of the "Hayastan" ("Armenia") orchestra, which he founded, and from 1999 of the "Madrigal" ensemble of violinists and early music; in 2000-07 he was director of the "Barsegh Kanachyan" music school. His works have been performed in the USA, France, England, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Hungary, Argentina, Lebanon and elsewhere. Ervand Erkanyan has written operas, a ballet-opera, a choreographic cantata, ballets, symphonies, sonatas and other works. In 1993 he was awarded the Saint Mesrop Mashtots Order of the Great House of Cilicia. He received the order of the "Hamazgayin" Armenian Educational and Cultural Society in 2007, the State Prize of the Republic of Armenia in 2009, the prize of the Union of Armenians of Russia and the RA Ministry of Diaspora in 2010, the title of Honored Art Worker of Armenia in 2011, the Vahan Tekeyan Prize in 2014, and gold medals of the RA Ministry of Culture in 2016 and of the Yerevan Mayor's Office in 2017.