Ohan Durian

Ohan Durian or Duryan (Armenian: Օհան Դուրյան; September 8, 1922, Jerusalem - January 6, 2011, Yerevan) was an Armenian conductor^[1] and composer.

Life and career

Ohan Durian was born Hanna Khatchadurian in Jerusalem. From 1939 to 1945 he studied composition, conducting and organ at the Jerusalem Conservatory. He completed his education in Europe under the tutelage of Hermann Scherchen, Roger Désormière and Jean Martinon.

After graduating, he toured Europe, performing with several orchestras, and worked as a music teacher at Birzeit University between 1944 and 1946. In 1957 he settled in Armenia at the invitation of Catholicos Vazgen I, and in 1959-65 and 1972-1974 he was conductor of the Armenian State Philharmonic Society.^{[citation needed]}

Due to Soviet restrictions on artistic expression, he left Armenia for Europe, and from 1963 to 1968 he served as Music Director of the

In 1991 Armenia gained independence, and in the same year Durian returned to serve as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Ohan Durian Radio & TV Symphony Orchestra, which he founded, and as Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Yerevan Opera Theatre.[2] He was forced into retirement in Armenia, but from 2002 to 2006 he directed the Moscow Symphonic Orchestra at the Stas Namin Center.^[3] Durian invented a musical system which he called Universalism and composed a number of songs and works for orchestra.^{[citation needed]}

Durian married Alice Shahmiryan. He was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (1967) and the State Award of the ASSR. In later years, he was a vocal critic of the Armenian government, and appeared at opposition rallies calling for the resignation of the regimes of Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan.^[4] He died in Yerevan and was buried at the Komitas Pantheon in Yerevan. The memorial is unique and made of several layers of thick curved glass, however due to severe weather conditions water has penetrated between the hermetically sealed layers and damaged the glass.^[5]

Works

Selected compositions include:

• Komitasakan
• L'Arménienne
• Pastorale 3

In many instances Durian was the first conductor to perform symphonic works by Armenian composers. He also made numerous recordings throughout his career.

External links

• Biography Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
• Ohan Duryan composer "L'Arménienne" on
  YouTube
• Ohan Durian at Find a Grave

References