Barsegh Kanachyan

Parsegh Ganatchian (in Armenian Բարսեղ Կանաչեան, pronounced Barsegh Kanachyan in Eastern Armenian) (born in Tekirdağ, Ottoman Empire in 1885  – died in Beirut, Lebanon in 1967) was a Lebanese-Armenian composer and conductor. He most notably arranged the music to "Mer Hayrenik", the Armenian national anthem, as well as to a famous traditional Armenian lullaby "Oror Im Palas" (in Armenian Օրօր Իմ Բալաս). He is founder and director/conductor of "Knar" wind orchestra and the "Gusan" (in Western Armenian "Kousan") choirs in Istanbul and the similarly named "Gusan" choir (1933 -1961) in Beirut. He was awarded with the National Order of the Cedar, a high Lebanese presidential award for promoting friendship between the Armenian and Lebanese peoples.

Ganatchian was born in Rodosto (present-day Tekirdağ), in the Ottoman Empire. In 1888 his family moved to Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), where he received his primary education. Afterwards, the family moved to Varna, where he studied music theory, playing the violin and conducting lessons under the supervision of Natanbeg Amirkhanyan. In 1903, he studied playing the piano and harmony in Bucharest, returning to Istanbul in 1908, where he formed the "Knar" wind orchestra (in Armenian «Քնար»). His meeting with Komitas Vardapet in December 1910 was decisive in his career. He also established in Turkey the "Gusan" choir (in Armenian «Գուսան»). He also continued his education in harmony and conducting.

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