Dance "Vahani"

Born in Akhaltsikhe. In 1961-67 he studied at the local Armenian school and, at the same time, at the music school. In 1972 he graduated from the composition and theory departments of the R. Melikyan Music College in Yerevan, in the class of Eduard Baghdasaryan. In 1972-77 he studied at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory in Alexander Harutyunyan's composition class, and then in A. Abrahamyan's piano class and Hakob Voskanyan's conducting class. In 1978-83 he was head of the instrumental section of the T. Altunyan Song and Dance Ensemble of Yerevan and in 1991-94 head of its music section; he was artistic director and principal conductor of the A. Merangulyan Folk Instruments Ensemble of the State Committee for Television and Radio of the RA in 1994-97, of the vocal-instrumental ensemble "Hin Yerevan" ("Old Yerevan") in 1996-98, and of the Ensemble of Gusan and Folk Song of Armenia in 1989-93 and from 2000. Since 1984 he has also taught at the R. Melikyan College, and since 1996 at the Yerevan Conservatory as well. He has written a piano trio, two piano concertos, two concertos for qanun, dance and song-and-dance melodies, pop and folk songs, an anthem for the European athletics championships, which won 1st prize in 2005, and other works. Since 2011 he has been artistic director and principal conductor of the "Varpetner" ("Masters") ensemble. Since 1980 he has been a member of the Composers' Union of Armenia. In 2013 he was awarded the RA "Movses Khorenatsi" order.