Arzas Voskanian

Arzas Voskanyan (b. 1946) is an Armenian composer, vocalist and music educator. He graduated from the Yerevan Conservatory in 1976 and had been studying with such tutors as Ṙobert At’ayan (expert on Armenian Monodic music), Edvard Mirzoyan (composing), Avet Terteryan (instrumentation), and David Khanjyan (score reading). Arzas hasn't been following common European musical standards, and instead implemented his own methods and distinct presentation style that continue and develop traditions of great Komitas. Voskanyan had been touring and participating in various conferences and workshops around the Soviet Union, in Belgium, Luxembourg, England, Germany, Hungary, and the Netherlands from the mid-seventies to the early nineties. Since 1978, he teaches at the Yerevan Conservatory. Arzas mentored Tovmas Pogosyan, Margarit Shaginyan and other musicians. He composed music in many genres, including operas, cantatas, instrumental concerts, quartets, choral works. Voskanyan collected and arranged over 2000 Armenian folk songs and melodies.