Vardan Grigoryan

Vardan Grigoryan is the bass player and the producer of the Armenian progressive ethnic rock bank Dogma. Not only is Vardan a professional musician, he is simply the god father of rock music in Armenia. During the past 5 years he, single-handedly, has managed to keep the Armenian rock scene happening by organising numerous rock concerts and festivals on the highest international standards. He is also the founder of “Vibrographus” music studio, Armenia’s one and only recording studio which rock bands can rely on.

Born in a mathematical-doctoral family, where everyone liked classical music, it was decided for me to become a professional pianist. I received private lessons in the family of Martin Israyelyan, one of the well-known contemporary classical composers, his wife Mrs. Nora being my teacher.

After studying piano for 5 years, I decided to quit. I started playing the guitar, trying to milk the most improbable sounds using the most unlikely tuning, from an ordinary acoustic guitar. It was a right hand guitar, but I am left handed, so I was inventing my own tuning. Soon I got sick and tired of it and made a big fuss for my folks to buy a proper instrument for me.

Here something very interesting happened… On my birthday I received a bass guitar as a gift from someone who thought he had bought a guitar for me. Vintage Violin Bass, a wonderful instrument! I forgot about my guitar all together and from that moment on I became a bassist.