Vahram Sargsyan

Vahram Sargsyan (alternate transliterations include Sarkissian or Sargissian, Armenian: Վահրամ Սարգսյան; born 28 May 1981, Yerevan, Armenia) is an Armenian Canadian composer, choral conductor and experimental vocalist currently living in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Vahram Sargsyan
Vahram Sargsyan
Born (1981-05-28) May 28, 1981
Yerevan, Armenia.
Occupation(s)Composer, Choral Conductor
Years active1998–present

Biography

Vahram Sargsyan studied at the P. Tchaikovsky Musical College, at the Music Theory Faculty. He then studied composition with Ashot Zohrabyan at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory from 1998 to 2003, where he also studied conducting with Tigran Hekekyan from 2000 to 2006 and where he has had post-graduate studies in composition again with Ashot Zohrabyan from 2005 to 2007. Currently he is working towards his master's degree in composition at Schulich School of Music, McGill University with Philippe Leroux.

Sargsyan's music has been performed in Armenia, UK, Germany, Austria, Belarus, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Belgium, Russia, Greece, Poland, Italy, Japan, Canada, as well as in the United States. His composition Luis Zvart was performed at the 6th World Symposium on Choral Music (Minneapolis, Minnesota 2002). His arrangement of Khorurd Metz[1] (Great Mystery) is included in the Oxford University Press anthology World Carols for Choirs[2] (2005)[3] and has been recorded by BBC Singers. It has been broadcast[4] by BBC Radio 3.

He has had commissions from Oxford University Press (UK), A.R.CO.VA.(Italy), Boston Choral Ensemble (USA), Norddeutscher Rundfunk (Germany),[5] AGBU Foundation (USA), CBC Radio and others. Sargsyan's work Hunting the Hunter was premiered[6] under his own baton in 2012 at Carnegie Hall.

Vahram Sargsyan's name has appeared in Who is Who in Choral Music[7] since 2007. He is a member of Union of Composers and Musicologists of Armenia. He served as a music consultant[8] for European Choral Association - Europa Cantat from 2010 to 2012.

Awards
  • The winner award in the POLYPHONOS 2017 Commission Competition[9] (Seattle, USA 2016)
  • Third prize in the Godfrey Ridout Awards from the Socan Foundation[10] (2012, for Tribulationes);
  • The winner award in the 3rd BCE Commission Competition[11] (Boston, USA 2010, for Tribulationes)
  • 1st prize in the International Contest for New Choral Compositions[12] (Petrinja, Croatia 2009, for Anegh Bnutiun);
  • An award from the World Armenian Congress “for creative achievements” (2009, for Mythis);
  • Co-winner award at the European Seminar for Young Composers[13] (Aosta, Italy 2008, for Laudate Dominum);
  • An award in the Choral Composition Competition in Yerevan, Armenia (2006, for Tantum ergo).

Selected works

Orchestral
  • Ter yete - God, if (cantata), mixed chorus, large orchestra (64 players), 2003
  • Mythis, 18 strings, 2008

Chamber music
  • Five Images, cello, piano, 1996
  • Poem, cello, piano, 1998
  • Sonatina, clarinet, piano, 1999
  • String Quartet, 2000
  • Music for 13, large ensemble (13 players), 2002
  • Selbstvergessenheit, 2 clarinets, cello, piano, 2006
  • Deux Silhouettes Féminines (texts by Paul Fort, Yeghishe Charents), soprano, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 2007
  • Hunting the Hunter, clarinet, marimba, 2 violins, viola, cello, piano, 2012
  • deperson, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 2013
  • Gandz, large ensemble, 2013

Choral
  • Tkhur meran - Sadly Departed (text by Vahan Terian), female chorus, 1999
  • Kesgisher - Midnight (text by Vahan Terian), mixed chorus, 1999
  • Voghormya - Lord, Have Mercy (text from Psalm 50 [Armenian translation]), mixed chorus, 2000
  • Luys Zvart - Joyful Light (text from an ancient Greek sacred text [Armenian translation]), female chorus, 2001 (also version for mixed chorus, 2006)
  • Lux aeterna, mixed chorus, 2004
  • Tantum ergo (text by St. Thomas Aquinas), mixed chorus, 2006
  • Domine Deus (text from the Gloria), 7 mixed voices, 2007
  • Laudate Dominum (text from Psalm 150), mixed chorus, 2008
  • Anegh Bnutiun (text by St. Nerses Shnorhali), female chorus, 2008 (also version for male chorus, 2009)
  • Dzaynik (text by Komitas Vardapet), female chorus, 2009
  • Ilik (folk text), female chorus, 2009
  • Stabat Mater, mixed chorus, 2010
  • Tribulationes (excerpts from the Psalms), mixed chorus, 2010
  • Wage Peace (text by Judyth Hill), mixed chorus, 2011

Piano
  • Visions, 1997
  • Variations, 1999

Arrangements
  • Sirt im sasani - My Heart Is Grieving over Judas (13th-century Armenian choral), mixed chorus, 2002;
  • Khorurd metz (Movses Khorenatsi), mixed chorus, 2002
  • Ousti Guqas (Sayat-Nova), clarinet, marimba, cello, 2012

References
  1. Khorurd Metz Mp3 Sample on the website of Oxford University Press: http://fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/academic/mp3/music/WCFC_Armenia.mp3
  2. World Carols for Choirs http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/World_Carols_for_Choirs
  3. B. Chilcott & S. Knight: World Carols for Choirs; Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-353231-X
  4. BBC Radio 3 Playlist 12 December 2005, 10.38: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/latejunction/pip/dp97o/
  5. "Das Repertoire von Ensemble Oktoplus: Grosse Kammermusik im Oktett und mehr".
  6. "Fifth Annual AGBU NYSEC Performing Artists in Concert Raises over $50,000 to Support Students and Music Programs Worldwide".
  7. G.Lazri & S. Simon, Who is Who in Choral Music ISBN 978-3-00-022159-0
  8. Music Consultants of the European Choral Association – Europa Cantat until the end of 2012: http://www.europeanchoralassociation.org/about-us/music-commission/
  9. POLYPHONOS 2017 winners: http://www.theesoterics.org/polyphonos/competition-results
  10. Socan Foundation - Annual Young Composers Awards https://www.socan.ca/news/socan-foundation-announces-recipients-annual-young-composers-awards
  11. BCE Commission Competition Winners: https://www.bostonchoral.org/commissions/2010-vahram-sargsyan/
  12. Kompositionswettbewerb für neue Werke für Frauen- oder Männerstimmen, Preisgewinner: http://www.choralcroatia.com/germany/petrinja.aspx
  13. Europa Cantat: European Seminar for Young Composers: http://www.imc-cim.org/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=11&year=2008&month=07&day=13&Itemid=203

Further reading
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