Ashot Zohrabyan
Internet Edition compiled by Onno van Rijen
Updated 15 November 1997
Born
29 January 1945 in Yerevan.
Biography
Armenian composer. Zohrabyan studied at the Komitas State Conservatory of
Yerevan (composition class of Grigori Yeghiazaryan), where he later was
appointed teacher for instrumentation and music theory himself.
Style
Zohrabyan's musical language is thoroughly interwoven with the musical
tradition of his native Armenia. His compositions are marked by strict logic
and general transparency, whilst the minutest structural details are worked
out throughout the development of the piece. The composer concentrated on
instrumental music from the outset of his career, showing marked preference
for chamber genres. While still a student of Yeghiazaryan's at the
conservatory Zohrabyan wrote a number of works for various instrumental
combinations. He confined himself to chamber music in order to be able to
concentrate on every detail, polish off the musical text and achieve inner
harmony.
His ideas found their most graphic realization in the two books of his
Boomerang Games for instrumental ensemble, written some time after his
graduation from the conservatory. Performed in Yerevan and at the Georges
Pompidou Cultural Centre in Paris, this work summed up seven years of
tireless searchings on the part of Ashot Zohrabyan. Outstanding musicians,
for instance the cellist Medea Abramyan and members of the Yerevan Chamber
Orchestra, readily perform his works on the concert stage, where they are
invariably acclaimed as original and attractive compositions. His works have
also been performed during various festivals, such as the 'Holland Festival'
in the Netherlands.
Works
- Divertimento for two flutes, oboe, two clarinets, two trumpets, two bassoons and piano (1968)
- String Quartet No. 1 (1968)
- Sonata for clarinet and piano (1969)
- Septet for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets and piano (1970)
- "Construction" for instrumental ensemble (1970)
- Sonata for viola and piano (1970)
- Variations for orchestra (1971)
- Three pieces for piano (1972)
- "Circles", song cycle on words by M. Metsarents and D. Varuzhan for soprano, bass flute, oboe, clarinet and piano (1972)
- Madrigal for mid voice and chamber ensemble on lyrics by M. Metsarents (1972)
- "The Red Loaves", song cycle on lyrics by M. Metsarents for mid voice and chamber ensemble (1973)
- "Boomerang Games I" for flute, oboe, clarinet, stringquartet and piano (1973)
- Sonata for violoncello and piano No. 1 (1974)
- "Boomerang Games II" for flute, oboe, clarinet, stringquartet and piano (1975)
- Piano Sonata (1976)
- Sonata for violoncello and piano No. 2 (1977)
- Concert-elegy for 12 strings (1980)
- "The Gift" for chamber orchestra (1981)
- "Evening songs for soprano and piano (1982)
- Serenade for 13 instruments (1983)
- "New Songs" for mezzo-soprano, two violins, violoncello and piano (1984)
- Wind Quintet (1984)
- Concerto for violin and string orchestra (1987)
- String Quartet No. 2 (1992)
- "Parabole" for 13 instruments (1993)
Thanks to Robert Avak
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