Tigran Mansuryan The Legendary Musician

Tigran Mansuryan was born in Beirut on January 27, 1939. In the late 1940s, he immigrated to Armenia with his family. In the years 1956–1960, Mansuryan studied composition at the Yerevan Romanos Melikyan Music School ( Eduard Baghdasaryan’s class), then in the years 1960–1965 at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, in the class of Ghazaros Saryan, under whose guidance he completed his postgraduate studies in 1967.
During his student years, he wrote works of various genres and won awards. From 1967 to 1986, he taught modern music theory at the conservatory. In 1986, Mansuryan was awarded the title of professor of music. In 1992–1995, he held the position of rector of the conservatory.
Mansuryan is one of the pioneers of modern music in the former USSR and the first to introduce modern compositional techniques (such as neoclassicism, dodecaphonism, and Webernism) to Armenia. The composer’s works are greatly received in London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Vienna, Moscow, Warsaw, New York, Los Angeles, and other world music capitals.
Mansuryan’s works are an interesting interweaving of Armenian musical art and folk traditions, with their bright, expressive melodies and impressionistic, high-class, and refined tones. He is a leading Armenian composer of classical music and film scores, a People’s Artist of the Armenian SSR (1990), and an Honored Art Worker of the Armenian SSR (1984). He was nominated for Grammy awards in 2004 and 2017.
He wrote the ballet "The Snow Queen" (after Hans Christian Andersen, 1988; production: 1990), symphonic works "Partit" (1965), "Preludes" (1975), "Night Music" (1980), concertos for cello and orchestra (1976, 1981, 1983), for organ and string orchestra (1964), violin and string orchestra (1981), viola and chamber orchestra (1995), and "Arvest Kertyunyan" choir (speech: Yeghishe Charents, 1997–1999).
Chamber works: "Tovem" (15 for soloist, 1979), string quartets, 5 bagatelles for piano trio (1985), sonatas, a series of vocal-chamber madiigals (for voice and piano), "Confession of faith" (for voice, viola and men’s choir), "4 native Nahapet Kuchak" (1967), "Songs of Mayramut" (speech: Hamo Sahyan, 37 1983), "Yerkii Nairi" (speech: Vahan Teryan, 1984), " Spring songs" (speech: Hovhannes Tumanyan, 1993),
Choruses and Films (Sergey Parajanov’s "Pomegranate Color", Mikael Vardanov’s "The Color of the Armenian Land", "A Piece of Sky", "We Are Our Mountains", "Mourning Snow", "Song of the Old Days", "Tango of Our Childhood") and theatrical ("King John", "Having", "Great Silence", etc.) music.
Mansuryan’s film music is distinguished by its melodiousness and lyricism and greatly contributes to the completion of the artistic description of the film. The composer’s works were performed in the largest concert halls in London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, New York, Los Angeles, and other cities.
On April 14, 2016, by the decree of the President of Armenia, he was appointed a member of the Public Council of Armenia.
In 2022, to revive classical and modern Armenian music and poetry in Armenia, the International Competition of Composers named after Mansuryan was organized.
Rewards:
HLCEM Award (1967)
ASSR State Prize (1981, 1985)
Honoured Art Worker of Armenia (1984)
People’s Artist of Armenia (1990)
Award named after Aram Khachatryan (1993)
Order of Saint Sahak-Saint Mesrop of the Armenian Church (2004)
Winner of the annual international award ceremony of the Vahan Tekeyan Cultural Society of Armenia (2006)
State Prize of Armenia (2013)
Medal of Honor (2011)
"Stars of Cooperation" Award (2017)
Yeglitz Light Award (2017)
Tigran Mansuryan’s "Requiem" won the International Classical Music Award in the "Contemporary Music" category.
Poghosyan Prize for presenting the theme of the Armenian Genocide to the world community through music and perpetuating the memory of the martyrs with "Requiem" (2018).
Quotes about Tigran Mansuryan
The beauty that Mansuryan reveals with a pinch of note is as enduring as it is beautiful. "Alan Lockwood, an American artist"
With Tigran, my generation speaks in the temple of new and modern culture. Without Tigran, my generation would have been only dumb pilgrims. "Hrant Matevosyan"