Alexander Arutiunian

Alexander Arutiunian
Arutiunian in 2008 in Yerevan
Background information
Birth name	Alexander Grigori Harutyunyan Ալեքսանդր Գրիգորի Հարությունյան
Born	(1920-09-23)23 September 1920 Yerevan, Democratic Republic of Armenia
Died	28 March 2012(2012-03-28) (aged 91) Yerevan, Armenia
Genres	Classical music
Occupation(s)	Composer, Pianist
Years active	1920s-2012
Website	http://www.alexanderarutiunian.com/

Alexander Grigori Arutiunian (Armenian: Ալեքսանդր Գրիգորի Հարությունյան), also known as Arutunian, Arutyunyan, Arutjunjan or Harutiunian (23 September 1920 – 28 March 2012), was a Soviet and Armenian composer and pianist, widely known for his 1950 trumpet concerto. A professor at Yerevan State Conservatory, he was recognized with many awards for his work, including the Stalin Prize in 1949 and People's Artist of the USSR in 1970, as well as numerous honors from his homeland of Armenia.

Arutiunian was born in Yerevan, Armenia, in the family of Grigor and Eleonora Arutiunian. His father was a military serviceman. In 1927, Arutiunian became a member of the Yerevan State Conservatory’s children group, then, at age 14, he was admitted to the Conservatory to the studios of Olga Babasyan (piano), and Sergei Barkhudaryan and Vardges Talyan (composition). He graduated from the Music Conservatory of Yerevan on the eve of World War II. After the war he moved to Moscow, where between 1946 and 1948 he participated in the workshops of House of Armenian Culture, studied composition with Genrikh Litinsky. After graduation he returned to Yerevan to teach at the local Conservatory and in 1954 he was appointed artistic director of the Armenian State Philharmony. He was also a member of the Board of the USSR Composers' Union, as well as of the Armenian SSR Composers’ Union.

In 1948, Arutiunian was awarded the Stalin Prize for his cantata Motherland, a graduation piece he wrote as a student at the Moscow Conservatory. The USSR Radio Choir and Orchestra performed this work first time in November 1948.