Komitas Quartet
{{Short description|String quartet ensemble}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2019}}
The Komitas Quartet is a string quartet musical ensemble founded in Moscow in November 1924, and is the oldest-established string quartet in the world still performing. It is now in the third and fourth generation of membership.
Original line-up
The founding members were four Armenian students at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory:{{cite web | title=History of Komitas Quartet | website=Virtual Museum of Komitas Vardapet | date=21 January 1950 | url=http://www.komitas.am/eng/komitas_quartet.htm | access-date=4 January 2022}}
1st violin: Avet Gabrielyan
2nd violin: Levon Ogandjanyan
Viola: Mikael Terian (Микаэл Тэриан)
Cello: Sergey Aslamazian
This group gave its first public performance in February 1925.
Origins
This group, the best-known Armenian music group, carries the name of Komitas (Soghomon Soghomonyan, 1869–1935).{{Cite web|url=https://www.aus.edu/media/news/aus-hosts-the-komitas-quartet|title=AUS hosts the Komitas Quartet|date=11 October 2015|website=American University of Sharjah|accessdate=4 January 2022}}{{cite web | title=Quartet takes the cake | website=HeraldScotland | date=10 November 1989 | url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/11967631.quartet-takes-the-cake/ | access-date=4 January 2022}} The quartet has performed with Sviatoslav Richter, Nina Dorliak, Emil Gilels, Dmitri Shostakovich, Mstislav Rostropovich, Victor Merzhanov, Konstantin Igumnov, Walter Zeufert, Mario Brunello, Anahit Nersesyan and other prominent musicians.
Current line-up
- 1st violin: Eduard Tadevosyan{{Cite web|url=https://armenpress.am/eng/news/988725|title=President Sarkissian signs decree on awarding members of Komitas Quartet|website=armenpress.am|accessdate=4 January 2022}}
- 2nd violin: Syuzi Yeritsyan
- Viola: Aleksandr Kosemyan
- Cello: Angela Sargsyan
Premieres
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;" | ||||
| Date | width=125px|Venue | width=175px|Composer | width=225px|Composition | width=175px|Joined by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 [https://archive.today/20130413223413/http://home.wanadoo.nl/ovar/gubaopus.htm Soviet Composers] (accessed through archive.fo) | Moscow | Sofia Gubaidulina | Piano Quintet | Sofia Gubaidulina, piano |
Recordings
The quartet made a number of collection recordings in the USSR and released numerous albums in Russia, the United Kingdom, France and the United States. The latest CDs were released in recent three years. In 2007 "Armenian Contemporary Composers" studio album was released on the VEM label.
In 2002, the CD was released "On the Fortieth Day" on Traditional Crossroads label in New York, with "Two Devotions" by the composer Vache Sharafyan.
The next edition of the [https://web.archive.org/web/20101128224117/http://www.komitasquartet.com/eng/rec.html "Armenian Folk Miniatures"] album was released in November 2010 by subvention of the Ministry of Culture of Armenia.
Management
- Arman Padaryan 2002–2011
- Wise Business since 2011
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=_o4jAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA10 The Montreal Gazette]
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=-Y4jAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA11 The Montreal Gazette II]
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=EztWAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA6 Eugene Register-Guard]
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=mEVAAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA16 The Glasgow Herald]
External links
- [https://anmmedia.am/en/musician/komitas-quartet/215 Komitas Quartet – Armenian National Music]
- [https://komitasquartet.am Official site of the Komitas Quartet]
- [https://komitasmuseum.am/en/ Komitas Museum]
{{String quartets|state=collapsed}}
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Category:Armenian classical musical groups
Category:Russian classical music groups
Category:Soviet musical groups