ARAKSI SARIAN
On September 26, 2013, in her 76th year Araxi Sarian, Martiros Sarian's daughter-in-law and Lazar Sarian's widow, the keeper of M.Sarian's family hearth and traditions has untimely died.
Araksi Sarian (Harutunian)- the Honored art worker, art history candidate, professor of Komitas Yerevan Conservatory was born on August 17, 1937 in Leninakan (now Guimri) in the family of intellectuals.
Father – Artsrun Harutunian was an actor and one of the founders of the Leninakan Drama Theatre, mother was a teacher. Araksi graduated (with medal) from Pushkin high school, and also graduated from Kara-Murza Music College (with Honors degree).
In 1955 she entered Yerevan State Medical Institute. Graduated with honors her first year of studies, then moved up to the second one, but dropped the institute and entered the historical and theoretical division of Komitas Yerevan Conservatory.
After finishing Conservatory, in 1962 she became a postgraduate student of Ethnography and Folklore Institute under Armenia Academy of Sciences guided by the eminent musicologist R.Atayan. In 1965 after finishing her graduate education she worked as junior researcher in the same institute. In 1969 defended a thesis titled “Armenian town folk song composing of 19-20cc.” and was appointed to a musicologist candidate. Even when studying at the Conservatory, she worked simultaneously as a music literature teacher in the musical high schools after T.Chukhadjian and P.Chaikovski and as a music editor at the state radio committee. In 1968 she was a lecturer in music history courses in the Komitas Yerevan State Conservatory.
From 1995 she headed the music history department. From 1966 she became a member of Armenia Union of Composers, from 2004 was in charge of the musicology division.
Araksi Sarian’s activity as a musicologist includes such spheres as scientific, pedagogical, educational and journalistic. She delivered thematically diverse lectures at many conferences of Armenia Academy of Sciences’ Institute, at the Union of Composers, in the Conservatory. In 1991-1997 and in 2007 within national charity campaigns conducted in the Greek town of Salonika, Araksi Sarian spoke at conferences on Armenian music.
In 2003 she took part in scientific conferences devoted to the thousandth anniversary of Grigory Narekatsi’s poem – ‘Book of Sorrowful Psalms’, organized in Paris by the Institute of Oriental languages. The title of her lecture was “Monodical traits of Gregory Narekatsy’s music tags”. Araksi Sarian published her numerous articles on Armenian music art in the union and republican press (newspapers, magazines), at various stage grounds she spoke with introductory word, preceding rather miscellaneous concerts and evenings. Was one of the first lectors of School Philharmonic Society, participated in many events of “Znanije(Knowledge)Society. TV and radio broadcastings proved to be one of the most successful in Araksi Sarian’s activity. The series of her broadcasts on Armenian, Russian and European music were a constant success and enjoyed wide popularity. She was the author, editor and translator of a number of books as well.
In 1992 Araksi Sarian was awarded a professor rank. In 2008 was entitled RA Honored Art Worker. In 2011 Araksi Sarian was awarded to a medal by RA National Assembly. Has got a number of other medals and certificates of honor. In 2004 she was the president of the commission dealing with the presentation of RA prizes in music.
ARAKSI SARIAN
