The first and second tours of the Arno Babajanyan contest of young performers will take place on December 12 and 14. The awarding ceremony and gala concert will follow on December 15.
The composer’s son, Ara Babajanyan and People’s Artist of Georgia’s Nani Bregvadze will be in the jury.
Arno Babajanyan was born on January 22, 1921, in Yerevan, Armenia. In 1928 he was admitted to the group of gifted children at the Yerevan Conservatory. At the age of 9, Babajanyan wrote his first composition, ‘Pioneer’s March’. He was very good at sight-reading and had a remarkable memory. His piano playing at the young age was already marked by unusual power of expression and technical finesse.
Babajanyan became famous with his title song for the film ‘Song of the First Love’ (1958). It became a popular radio hit and a best-selling record in the former Soviet Union.
He created a successful cross-cultural style of his own. His original style absorbed a variety of influences including jazz, rock’n roll, classical music, and the traditional Armenian folk-music. Babajanyan’s original style is immediately recognizable by everyone who once heard his classical compositions and popular hits. He dedicated himself to teaching and concertizing instead of becoming a prolific composer.
Babajanyan died on November 11, 1983, in Moscow.
