Faculties > Orchestra

String Instruments Department

According to Prof. Anahit Tsitsikyan's researches (see "Armenian Bow Instruments Art", Yerevan, 2004), the manuscripts dated of X c. contain information about bow instruments in Armenia. Thus, during the excavations in Dvin - ancient capital of Armenia (IV-XIII cc.), a vase was found, on which a musician playing the violin-like bow instrument was drawn.

The age of this vessel is approximately late X c. - beginning of XI c. That is why it is one of the earliest "violin" pictures in whole world art.

Armenian manuscripts of the next centuries also contain drawings of different music instruments. You can find below a reproduced page from XVI c. Gospel (Matenadaran, man. N 5783), where you can see musicians: string and wind players and a percussionist.

The X-XI cc. has been the period of blossom of the Armenian culture and art. It was conditioned with the geographic situation of the country finding itself on the crossroad of international trade itineraries between the East and the West.

In this period, together with philosophy, logics, grammatics and natural science, music was also taught at Armenian schools, which have been organized after the pattern of ancient schools. It promoted also the development of the people's music culture. An interesting fact was stated in one of manuscripts of that time: a professional musician informed, that he teaches music for a certain pay "also…women".

The following information from another manuscript proves the wide development of the music, especially string instruments performing art. It tells about the manufacture of strings in Armenia in the X c. (!), telling that, together with farm produce and handicrafts, also "strings form the music instruments have been exported from Armenia".

The experience and the traditions of Armenian musical culture have been undoubtedly used while organizing the musical life of the Republic, including also the activity of the country's main musical education institution - the Yerevan State Conservatory, as well as one of three large departments of the latter - the Orchestra Faculty.

The names of the first Conservatory professors and its founders are mentioned on the "About Us" page of this website. Among them, there are also some string instruments professors. Hrachya Bogdanyan and Karp Dombaev are the most remarkable representatives of the next generation; they have made a valuable contribution to the development of the Armenian violin art. Famous scientist, musicologist Ch.Kushnarev has written to K.Dombayev from Leningrad: "Dear Karp Savelyevich, I've read today in Leningrad "Pravda" the interview of the President of Praha Festival, Mr. K.Sadlo, where he appreciates very highly the musical culture of Yerevan, comparing it to the cultures of Leningrad and Moscow…".

Many outstanding musicians from different countries share Mr. Karel Sadlo's opinion and his high appreciation of the musical culture of Yerevan. And the YSC is a forgery of the latter.

The present generation of the string instruments professors continues the traditions founded by their older colleagues. Many of them are laureates of Republic, Transcaucasian, All-Union and International competitions, Honored and People's Artists, Laureates of State prizes of the Republic of Armenia, such as, for example violinists Edvard Tadevosyan, Henrik Smbatyan, cellists Medea Abrahamyan, Aram Talalayn and the others.

Chamber Ensemble and String Quartet Department

Every instrumentalist is an ensemble player, with rare exceptions. Every string instrument player is an ensemble player already without exceptions. It doesn't matter if he performs in symphony or chamber orchestra, quartet or trio. Even when he performs a "solo" recital, his work with accompanist is a kind of ensemble (the quantity of unaccompanied pieces in their repertory is so small, that one can ignore it in this sense).

According to this fact, a big attention is paid in the YSC to the subjects developing the professional abilities of ensemble play. During five years of study, every string instrument player has, besides his 480 "specialty" hours, also 600 "ensemble hours" for "Chamber ensemble" and "String quartet" subjects. Besides, they also have 840 hours of practice in student symphony or chamber orchestras.

The high level of ensemble play of the YSC graduates is a result of the activity of Chamber Ensemble and String Quartet Departments (heads - Prof. Alla Berberyan and Prof. Ruben Altunyan). Musicians who have graduated from the YSC are highly appreciated in many musical collectives of CIS countries, Europe and both Americas. Many of them are orchestra principals.

Different ensembles consisting of the YSC students and graduates have successful performances in many countries, at festivals and Regional and International competitions of chamber ensembles.

Wind and Percussion Instruments Department

It's one of the large departments of the Orchestra Faculty. All the classical wind instruments are taught there: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, French horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba. The department is also responsible for the organization of study process by the specialty "Percussion instruments".

Such musicians as trumpetists Tsolak Vartazaryan, Haykaz Messiayan, flutists Haik Ghasabyan, Levon Aloyan, have strongly influenced the development of the wind instruments performing art in Armenia. The last three of them have combined their concert activity with the work at the Wind and Percussion Instruments Department.

The Department consists today of high professional pedagogues. Among them - Honored and People's Artists of Armenia, Laureates of Transcaucasian and International Competitions.

Wind Ensemble Department

The activity of the Wind Ensemble Department is realized through the close contact with the Wind and Percussion Instruments Department. Its aim is to impart the students the ensemble play skills.

It is well-known, that the whole activity of a wind instrument player takes place in collaboration with somebody: in symphony or chamber orchestras, in different ensembles or with their accompanists. The YSC provides its students with such a practice in ensembles of different instrumental staff (orchestra, large ensemble, quartet, trio, etc.).

The Wind Ensemble Department has some permanent ensembles (trio, quintet, etc.), consisting of the YSC students and graduates. These ensembles perform recitals periodically.