Ghazaros (Lazar) Saryan

Ghazaros (Lazar) Saryan
Ղազարոս (Լազար) Սարյան
Лазарь Мартиросович Сарьян
Born September 30, 1920
Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Died May 27, 1998 (aged 77)
Yerevan, Armenia
Occupation Composer
Educator

Ghazaros (Lazar) Saryan (Armenian: Ղազարոս Սարյան, Russian: Лазарь Мартиросович Сарьян, Rostov-on-Don, Sept. 30, 1920 – Yerevan, May 27, 1998) was an Armenian composer and educator.[1]

Life and career

Ghazaros Saryan was born into a family of distinguished Armenian artists. He is the son of renowned painter Martiros Saryan and the grandson of the prominent writer Ghazaros Aghayan. Musically gifted, Ghazaros attended the Yerevan State Conservatory from 1934 to 1938, where he studied composition with Sargis Barkhudaryan and Vardges Talyan. Afterwards, he travelled to Moscow and enrolled in the composition class of Vissarion Shebalin at the Gnessin State Musical College.

With the outbreak of World War II in 1941, Ghazaros was drafted into the Soviet army and served actively until 1945. Subsequently, he entered the Moscow Conservatory. Among his composition teachers were Dmitri Kabalevsky, Dmitri Shostakovich and Anatoly Nikolayevich Alexandrov. Saryan graduated in 1950.[2]

Upon his return to Armenia, Saryan joined the faculty of the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory where he taught orchestration. During 1955-56, he was chairman of the Armenian Composers' Union. In 1960, he was appointed rector of the Conservatory, a position he retained until 1986. Saryan taught composition as well, training such distinguished Armenian composers as Tigran Mansurian, Rober Altunyan, Vardan Adjemyan and Ruben Sargsyan.

Ghazaros Saryan was essentially a composer of symphonic oeuvre, in which beautiful surface textures are juxtaposed with adventurous rhythmic and harmonic experimentation. His music displays a keen and sophisticated musical intellect, characterized by authenticity and integrity. Mr. Saryan has also written a number of notable works for chamber music, as well as several film scores.

Member of Armenian Mighty Handful.

Saryan has received many awards, including the People's Artist of the Armenian SSR (1983) and the People's Artist of the USSR (1991). For his military service he was decorated with the Red Star Medal.

Performed widely within the former Soviet Union, Saryan’s music is gradually obtaining greater recognition in European music capitals. His Armenia: Symphonic Panels was performed in 1991 at the Pierre Boulez Contemporary Music Center in Metz, France, and his Passacaglia was presented in 1995 during the Athens Music Festival.

Ghazaros Saryan's manuscripts are deposited at the Saryan Museum, 3 Saryan St, Yerevan 0002, Armenia. Tel: (374-10) 53.39.36.

Compositions

Orchestra

Vocal

Instrumental

Romances

Film Scores

References

  1. ↑ Svetlana Sarkisian, "Saryan, Ghazar," The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1980.
  2. ↑ Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia, vol 10, p 238.

Further reading

Արաքսի Սարյան, Ղազարոս Սարյանը եվ նրա ժամանակը, Аракси Сарьян, Лазарь Сарьян и Его Время. «Արճեշ» հրատարակչություն, Yerevan 2001.

See also

Recordings

External links