Richard Hagopian
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Richard Hagopian (born 1937 near Fresno, California) is an Armenian-American Turkish-style oud player, and a well-known world music and traditional Armenian musician. He has been a musician since childhood, learning to play the violin and clarinet at only nine years old. Later, he began playing the oud and studied with the famous Armenian artist Garbis Bakirgian. He has performed throughout the United States and taught a master class at the Manhattan School of Music, as well as teaching as artist-in-residence at California State University. He currently claims to play over 50 instruments.
In the 1960s Armenian-American dumbeg player Buddy Sarkissian was the musical director of the "Cleopatra Revue" a belly dance show running at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. When Richard arrived in Vegas one day, Buddy, according to the LP liner notes, "upon hearing his singing and oud playing, immediately hired him." Along with noted Armenian-American clarinetist Hachig Kazarian of Detroit, and several other musicians, this group played the International Hotel for several years before coming out in 1968 with their first LP, "Kef Time Las Vegas." The group parted ways but frequently reunited to play Armenian dances and other events around the country. They made 3 more LP's, "Kef Time Fresno," "Kef Time Detroit," and "Kef Time Hartford."
His son is the violinist Harold Hagopian, also a music producer who runs the small independent label "Traditional Crossroads."
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