Sad Seas

Jivan Gasparyan was born in village Solak (Kotayk province). He grew up in orphanage. At the age of 6 started playing duduk (self-taught). In 1947 he joined the National Amateur Ensemble and left for Moscow where after the concert he received “Pobeda” watches from Joseph Stalin. Jivan Gasparyan graduated from Yerevan State Conservatory in 1985. From 1949 to 1981 was a soloist of the Folk Song and Dance Ensemble of Armenia. Since 1982 Gasparyan teaches at Yerevan State Conservatory after Komitas (since 1990 Professor). Soloist of the State Committee of Radio and TV of Armenia since 1986. A lot of his works were used in foreign films, Jivan Gasparyan has released more than 20 CDs, has more than 1000 records, participated in 20,000 concerts. He is a laureate and winner of several festivals and in 1980 was awarded the “UNESCO Gold Medal” for participating in the International Festival. In 1978 he was awarded the title of People’s Artist of Armenia, in 2000 the title of Honorary Citizen of Armenia, in 2001 the Order of “Mesrop Mashtots”, and in 2013 the Medal of Honor of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia. A monument to Jivan Gasparyan, Vache Hovsepyan and Levon Madoyan was placed in the center of Yerevan in 2015. In 2017 he was awarded the 1st Class Medal “For Services to the Motherland”.