Vartan Ajemian

Vartan Ajemian, 2008

Vartan Ajemjan (also Adjemian, Armenian Վարդան Աճեմյան Vartan Ajemjan , Russian Вартан Аджемян Vartan Ajemjan ; born April 27, 1956 in Yerevan , Armenian SSR , Soviet Union ) is an Armenian composer and music teacher.

Life

Vartan Ajemjan comes from a family of artists. His father was the Armenian composer Aleksandr Ajemyan (1925–1987), the son of the theater director of the Armenian National Theater Vartan Ajemians senior (1905–1977) and his wife, the actress Arus Asryan (1904–1987). Like his father, his mother Natella Adjemian taught at the Yerevan Conservatory. He discovered the world of theater through his grandparents, who sometimes took him to the theater every day. Here he was surrounded by prominent and talented artists from an early age. Vartan Ajemjan attended the Sayat-Nova Music School in Kentron from 1962 to 1969 . From 1973 he studied composition with Ghazaros Sarjan (1920–1998) at the State Komitas Conservatory in Yerevan . In 1978 he graduated. He presented the opera The Death of Kikos as a diploma thesis. The exceptional rating of 5+ was even mentioned in Pravda . Due to his achievements, he was given the opportunity to continue his composition studies and was accepted into the Composers' Union of Armenia. He completed his postgraduate studies in 1981. In 1987 Ajemjan received the State Art Prize of the Armenian SSR for his Symphony No. 1. He has been teaching composition at the Yerevan Conservatory since 1987. From 2001 he was appointed professor and since 2002 he has been head of the composition department at the Conservatory. From 1995 he taught at the Sayat-Nova Music School. In 2010 he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Armenia . On December 29, 2015 he received the State Prize in the field of music for his composition Sound Theater . His daughters are the pianist Arus Ajemjan (* 1983) and her sister Natalia Ajemjan. Various works by Vartan Ajemyan have been published by Editions Bim since 2008. He has been a member of SUISA since this year . His works have been performed in Armenia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Georgia, Iceland, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the United States.

Works (selection)

• Adventure for alto saxophone and string orchestra or wind orchestra, 2008. It was commissioned by Philippe Pfisterer, director of the Conseil Départemental pour la Musique et la Culture de Haute-Alsace (CDMC). The wind orchestra version is set for two flutes, two oboe, two clarinets, bassoon, alto saxophone, two tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, two trumpets, two horns, two trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani and drums with glockenspiel and bongos.
• Blues for 2 tubas, string quartet and piano, 2010. It is a commission from the Finnish tuba player Harri Lidsle (* 1969). Published by Edition Bim
• Concerto for flute and chamber orchestra in one movement, 1995. The work was premiered in 1998 by the flautist Tigran Gevorkjan and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia under the direction of the conductor Ruben Asatrjan in Yerevan.
• Fantasy for tuba and piano, 1996. The work was commissioned for Harri Lidsle. It premiered at the International Tuba / Euphonium Conference in Minnesota in 1998.
• Poem [poem] for trumpet and piano, 2012 The work is dedicated to Jean-Pierre Mathez.
• Quintet for piccolo, tuba, vibraphone, double bass and piano, 1998
• Sonata for flute and cello, 1984. The work was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture of the Armenian SSR. I Adagio II Allegro con fuoco III Andante
• Sound theater for piano, timpani and string orchestra
• Symphony No. 3 for string orchestra
• 9 views for piano. Dedicated to Olivier Messiaen .
• The bells for piano
• Festival overture

Web links

• Vartan Adjemian at the Musical Assembly of Armenia
• Works by and about Vartan Adjemian in the WorldCat bibliographic database
• Vartan Adjemian at Editions Bim

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Vardan Adjemian: From love towards theater to “Sound theater” . In: armenpress.am . ( armenpress.am [accessed November 2, 2018]).