He belonged to the bouquet of those composers whose life and activity were related to the problems of the formation of Soviet culture. He had a decisive role in establishing professional music in Central Asia and wrote the first Tajik opera. In spite of the fact that he did not live in Armenia, he always considered himself to be an Armenian composer.

He is one of the great architects of Armenian musical art. We are sure that this radio essay will be an occasion to read the book "Mikayel Tavrizyan: the Life and Death of the Conductor" published years ago by Gayane Tavrizyan, the daughter of the conductor...

He carries the extremely viable gene of the brightest violin school of the 20th century, and this gene continues in his own family and guides his pupils. Today Suren Hakhnazaryan is one of the classics of our pedagogical art and is present from the Motherland to the Far East. His name is synonymous with high and noble art in Armenian musical culture. During our talk you’ll listen to excerpts from the works of Grażyna Bacewicz, Karmella Tsepkolenko, the pieces "Al Aylughs" and "Keler Tsoler" by Komitas-Aslamazyan, the second part of the Quartet No. 7 by Dmitry Shostakovich, and the minuet from the Quartet in G major by Joseph Haydn.

These days mark the 80th anniversary of the composer. We chose this archival interview with him to create an occasion to once more listen to his words and songs.

Alexander Kosemyan, a soloist, ensemble player, concertmaster of orchestras but, first of all, long-term violist of the Komitas Quartet and prolific Professor of Yerevan Conservatory, talks about his main instrument, composers and pedagogy.

Throughout his life, the prolific violinist maintained the mindset of the owner of his country and was devoted to the idea of serving his cause to the best of his abilities... "Perhaps I'm a little bit different person," said Viktor Khachatryan openly in our first and last interview with him.

Anahit Nersisyan is one of the contemporary classics of Armenian performance art. The eloquent creative path hasn't changed her human characteristics. She is an embodiment of honest devotee of art... In her childhood the outstanding pianist dreamed about playing violin and singing.

Davit Ghazaryan's voice connects with each other the histories of the musical and especially choral culture of the Soviet and independent republics of our homeland.

In modern Armenian composers' life, the name of Geghuni Chitchian sounds with an incessant creative and pedagogical zeal.

His name is associated with high and noble achievements of soloist and ensemble performance of violin.

"Intoxicated with Purity," "Unexpected Modernism," "Archaic and Amazing"… Such headlines in the most serious German periodicals  responded to the birth of the album "Komitas. Seven Songs" released by ECM Records. The music pieces are rendered in the interpretation of Lusine Grigoryan, lecturer at Yerevan State Conservatory named after Komitas. English periodicals, "Gramophone" and "BBC Music," also wrote about this album in the form of an article and an interview.

This is the title of the first volume of the yearbook of Komitas Museum-Institute that includes the latest studies on this topic by specialists from Armenia and other countries. We're talking with one of the editors of the volume, musicologist Tatevik Shakhkulyan. During the broadcast, you'll listen to performances by Komitas, Khoren Palyan, Hilliard Ensemble, Hover Choir, Lusine Grigoryan, and the choir of Vazgenian Seminary. 

"When an artist reveals the meaning of life to an entire nation, he or she is a genius. Komitas has such an importance for the Armenian people. The great Komitas confirmed the right of the Armenians to be called a creative nation." Sargis Najaryan reads the memories of Hrachia Adjarian, Garegin Levonyan, Panos Terlemezyan, Karine Khrimyan. This episode of our program is based on the book "Komitas the Miracle Worker" by Khachik Safaryan.

Our entire nation expresses herself with the voice of Komitas. He legalized the principles of performing Armenian songs. In this radio essay we have also included the ten commandments of Komitas for the art of singing. He paid attention to the correct pronunciation of words and to the close connection of speech and music. According to Komitas, speech is an expression of thought, and musical voice is an expression of feeling.

For our radio essay we have chosen a few excerpts from Khachik Safaryan's "Komitas the Miracle Worker" collection.

Geniuses have often been inspired by each other. Komitas is such an incentive and charge for Armenian culture. Yeghishe Charents loved Komitas with filial love and felt the awe of a believer toward him, while Martiros Sarian had a love for him that reached worship, saying that it is not enough to love Komitas; it is necessary to always listen to him.

Tigran Mansuryan is one of the brightest representatives of modern Armenian music, with that "noble, national demeanor" (as described by musicologist Zara Ter-Ghazaryan) that only he has. Such was also our first meeting with him at our radio station. Here is a sentence from our one-hour conversation: "For me, the greatest personal, human value in music is the melody that my mother would sing for me — the lullaby”…

He affirmed the eternity of the Beauty and wrote his name in the pages of the history of Armenian music. He experienced the joy of being famous and loved. During 68 years of his life, he was a co-thinker and friend of D. Shostakovich, A. Khachaturian, Sergei Parajanov, P. Sevak, and Minas. We talk about the honored composer and his time with his biographer, musicologist Tsovinar Movsisyan.

In different periods of his life he was the rector of the Conservatory, director of the Opera Theater, artistic director for the musical part of the State Committee for Television, head of the National Ensemble of Song and Dance as well as of Hayhamerg, etc. Edgar Hovhannisyan manifested his national traits both in creative work and in public activity. Musicologist Tsovinar Movsisyan shares her memories of some pages from the life of her older contemporary.

Yuri Harutyunyan is one of the inseparable parts of the history of Armenian cinema. His music is played in about 80 films. On the occasion of his 70th anniversary, the monograph "Parallels of Life" by musicologist Tsovinar Movsisyan was published. The rebroadcast of the talk with the author and the hero of this book is dedicated to the memory of the composer.

Assessments given to her activities, starting from her first performance and ending with her scholarly studies at the dusk of the great path of her life, are especially rich. "Anahit Tsitsikyan is a glorious figure in the firmament of contemporary Armenian culture. A talented violinist, an Honored Artist of the Republic of Armenia, a meticulous researcher of Armenian performing arts, a pedagogue and publicist, a person with multifaceted interests," writes musicologist, Doctor of Arts Margarit Rukhkyan.

Gayane Chebotaryan is one of the giants of Armenian musical culture of the second half of the 20th century. A musician, who harmoniously combined in herself the composer and researcher, publicist and pianist, educator and musical-public figure: "Through my hands passed all Armenian Soviet composers and musicologists who studied in Yerevan during the years of my teaching," remembered the great educator.

Constantin Sarajev is one of the most impressive and viable giants of Armenian musical culture of the 20th century. He is a constructor and undisputed measure in the Soviet and Armenian conductor and pedagogical arts.

Conductor, composer, pedagogue, scholar, music and public figure and military bridge builder Gevorg Budaghyan took part in the formation of our national Conservatory, Opera House, and Institute of Art. The main path of his great work began with the decisive presence of Konstantin Saradzhev and culminated in the fundamental popularization of Alexander Spendiaryan's creative legacy.