Garbis Aprikian

Garbis Aprikian was an influential Armenian choral conductor and composer born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1926. From the age of ten, he began serious musical training, focusing on piano, harmony, counterpoint, and fugue. In 1948, he founded the mixed chorus Hamazkaine and gave concert performances that earned him a scholarship to study in Europe. Aprikian moved to Paris in 1953 to study orchestral conducting and composition at the École normale, and musical aesthetics at the Paris Conservatoire under Olivier Messiaen. He became renowned for directing the Armenian mixed choir Sipan Komitas in Paris for about fifty years, starting in the 1950s.

Throughout his long career, Aprikian became celebrated for blending Armenian melodies with Western classical music harmonies, creating both original compositions and arrangements of works by Armenian composers and folk traditions. His efforts significantly contributed to the recognition of Armenian music in Europe, especially the works of Komitas, Ganatchian, and Alemshah. Garbis Aprikian passed away at his home in Malakoff, France, on October 15, 2024, at the age of 98.

Genres

Experimental

Folk

Classical

World

Contemporary Classical

Choral

Orchestral Music

Religious

Latest Release

Lamento

Garbis Aprikian•

Eva Zaïcik•

David Haroutunian•

Xénia Maliarevitch

Single - Released March 24, 2023