Armenian Composers’ Union President Takes Measure of Group on 90th Anniversary

The union has its headquarters in Yerevan on Derenik Demirchyan Street, where there is a recording studio and a hall which can hold an audience of 150. Painted directly on the wall of the hall is Martiros Saryan’s well known mural called “Hayastan,” which dates from 1958. Satyan explained that this year the union renovated the hall, but the entire building lacks heating. Negotiations are taking place to explore costs for the latter.

The union also has a resort in Dilijan founded in 1963 called the Edvard Mirzoyan Composers House of Creativity, which extends over 11 hectares and includes guest cottages. All sorts of famous musicians, composers and writers have visited this historic resort, including Aram Khachaturyan, Benjamin Britten, Krzysztof Meyer, Giya Kancheli, Philip Glonti, Mstislav Rostropovich, Galina Vishnevskaya, Rodion Shchedrin, Anna Zegers and Hans Buchholz.

Satyan said that since its opening, very few changes took place there for nearly 60 years, but today, practically the whole place is being renovated to provide a comfortable place for composers as well as guests from abroad. He said that now there is also a restaurant with affordable prices, and music festivals can be held there with pride. The majority of the renovations have been completed already, and in three to four months the remainder will be done.

The Mirzoyan resort has a large hall with excellent acoustics for performances in Dilijan, which can hold up to 600 people. The renovation of this hall, Satyan said, is a much greater expense compared to that of Yerevan. It will cost around 400 million dram, which is the equivalent of close to $1 million. The union cannot do this alone so it is attempting now to find people who can assist in this restoration project.

90^th Anniversary Celebrations

The 90^th anniversary of the founding of the Composers Union has been celebrated this year in a number of ways.

An extensive series of music festivals was held in various parts of Armenia at which around 50 compositions, symphonic, chamber music, choral and songs were presented, of which 25 were premieres, Satyan said.

The union organized 12 concerts with songwriters in border areas of Armenia and Artsakh, first going to Zangezur and then Artsakh this May, and then in August to the Tavush area. Satyan said that what is important is that the Composers Union stands in solidarity with its homeland and has assumed a certain cultural responsibility accordingly. During each visit, the musicians met with local school children and adults, and donated 10 different handbooks of the compositions of Armenian composers, which were largely published with the aid of the Composers Union.

In Aghavno, Artsakh, the concert was the last one to be given in this town. Satyan said during the visit, the musicians learned about why the residents did not want to leave. Patriotic songs were performed as well as newly composed songs about Aghavno itself, and this, he said, played a big role in bolstering the local population.

During these trips, in addition to musical scores and manuals, instruments were donated. For example, a grand piano was donated to the musical school of Khndzoresk Village.

Satyan exclaimed: “Our people living on the borders must understand that we are at their side. Armenia itself is a borderland, and Yerevan is a borderland too. Each person must understand that only by standing together can we overcome all difficulties.”

A special exhibition was inaugurated on October 7 in what for Armenia was an unusual space – a subway station, as part of the Art in the Metro series. The Yeritasardakan [Youth] Metro is particularly used by youth, as indicated by its very name, and this October it is festooned with an exhibition of posters presenting the history of the union and the achievements of its composers. Archival materials were provided by the Armenian National Archives, and Yerevan’s state subway and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport contributed in its preparation. Satyan said that the venue inspired great interest in the public.

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Beyond domestic productions, Satyan said that over the past seven or eight years, a number of the works of composers in the union were performed in Canada, United States, France, Greece, Russia, and Beirut, Lebanon. In other words, the union was able as much as possible to make Armenian music known and heard abroad.

Satyan said, “During all this time, I was able to bring the Composers Union to the level that we can fund competitions with the money that we earn, and do our music festivals.” The Armenian state has aided individual programs, he said, and this has continued through the various changes in regime.

For example, he said next year the union will organize a big jazz festival to be called “Pan Armenian Jam,” with the participation of Armenians living in some 60 different countries who are active in this field. The union is doing this on its own but asks the state to add its logo and show that it too is happy with what is being done. Satyan said that during collaboration with the jazz college in Armenia and the youth symphonic orchestra, “they perceive what is necessary for us, and we at the same time give them the product of the work of the composers. This collaboration also appears during working with the state. There are various proposals and grants, and the state on its part attempts to help, but we remain independent.”

Satyan’s Plans

Satyan said that he continues to work on his own compositions as much as possible while in office. He has written an opera based on Ernst Theodor Hoffmann’s works called “Little Zaches,” which he hopes will be published one day, and also has finished a symphonic poem, “Macbeth.” He has composed a trilogy including the latter piece as well as a waltz in memory of Maurice Ravel, and another piece inspired by “Hamlet.” However, Satyan, who is the author of the rock opera “Lilit,” various concertos and symphonies, works for chamber orchestra, hundreds of pop songs and music for film and theater, said that the majority of his time remains devoted to the work of the Composers Union.

The next election for president of the union will take place on October 30. Satyan said that if he is elected, he plans to finish the projects he has started as much as possible, and then leave administrative work in order to turn back to his creative world. Among his plans for the union are to complete the expensive renovation of the Dilijan resort hall, fix the Dilijan roads, and raise funds for the heating system for the union headquarters in Yerevan. He also wishes to create what he calls a “musical matenadaran,” by putting the musical library of the union in order. This means both the physical preservation of scores and books as well as renovations of the library itself. Digitalization is part of this project of making Armenian music accessible, along with continued efforts at having the works of Armenian composers performed and heard.

Satyan emphasized that “what is most important is that our music can go before an international public, so that all understand that after Komitas and Khachaturyan a new generation has been born which represents Armenian music. We are all one team in international musical development. No one must think that Armenian music has fallen behind or does not accomplish anything. We want more people to listen to pure Armenian music. Today our members create values which can become lasting not only for Armenia but the entire world.”