BIRTH OF ARAM MERANGULIAN

Composer and musician Aram Merangulian hand an important role in Armenian folklore music with the creation of the orchestra of popular instruments of Armenia.

He was born on June 8, 1902, in the village of Tshegna of the district of Goghtn (Nakhichevan). He directed several amateur groups in 1922-1926. He studied the tarr (1926-1928) and composition (1937-1942) at the Yerevan Music Conservatory. In 1927 he founded the ensemble of popular instruments of the Radio and TV of Armenia and directed the group for the next forty years. The ensemble was called after him following his death. Famous singers like Hovhannes Badalian, Ruben Matevosian, Norayr Mnatsakanian, Ofelia Hambardzumian, Varduhi Khachatryan were among the soloists in the ensemble.

Merangulian taught in the class of popular instruments in the Conservatory (1931-1933) and then for seven years in the Romanos Melikian Musical School. In 1959 he earned the title of Popular Artist of Armenia.

His many works for voice and instruments, as well as many arrangements of popular songs and dance melodies contributed to the formation of the dominant style in Armenian music. He also wrote the music for the TV movie Sayat-Nova.

Aram Merangulian wrote a manual for tarr interpreters, which remain unpublished. Some of his music was published separately and in a posthumous collection (1972). He passed away in Yerevan on November 17, 1967.