Grigor Arakelian

Grigor Arakelian, composer, conductor, Armenian viola performer. Arakelyan has created arrangements and compositions for choir, folk and classical instruments while composing music solely derived from musical thinking of Komitas and guided by the old Armenian musical system.

In 1993, with the help of luthier Martin Yeritsian he created a new type of kemani: the tav kemani or Armenian viola, which has a unique sounding typical to Armenian spiritual music. This musical instrument has been used on many stages of the world to present such gems of Armenian medieval music as the arrangements of Narekatsi’s “The Jewel Rose” (“Gohar Vard”) and “Eyes Like the Sea” (“Atchken Tsov”) taghs, Mashtots’s Repetance Psalms, etc.

In 2005 Arakelian directed Oshakan St. Mesrop Mashtots Church Choir, based on which the medieval Armenian music “Oshakan” ensemble was founded on the recommendation of the French Armenian manager Roger Piranian, which gained popularity among the ancient music lovers of Europe, giving perfomrances in Paris “Radio France”, in Monaco Central Cathedral, and at the opening of Marseilles “La Majeur” Cathedral.

Arakelian founded the Oshakan Trio (voice, qanun and Armenian viola), which participated in the Quebec Festival of Sacred Music with the repertoire “The Paradise Garden of Armenia” (Les Jardins de Paradis d’Armenie), in the baroque music festivals of Thoronet and Pontoise in France and others.

On September 21, 2013 Arakelian presented “Komitas and Medieval Armenian Music” program in Montreal with Canadian VivaVoce choir, introducing himself as a composer and soloist.

Grigor Arakelian currently directs his new ensemble “Les Violons d’Armenie”, a string quintet, which plays music from baroque to Armenian medieval to romantic, etc., on Armenian string instruments: Armenian violins, violas and cello.