Album Notes

Armenian Music Center presents Lazar Saryan's CD "Symphonic Compositions". The composer Ghazaros Saryan was one of the most distinguished figures of Armenian musical culture of the second part of the XX century. He was honored with the title of a People’s Artist of the Soviet Union and Armenia. Son of the great Armenian Painter Martiros Saryan, Gazaros was born on 30 September 1920 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. A year later his family moved to Yerevan, Armenia. Gazaros received his professional education in new-established Yerevan Conservatoire with renowned composer V.Talyan. In 1941-1945 Saryan became the participant of the WW II. When the war was over he continued his education in Moscow Conservatoire with famous Russian composer D. Shostakovich. Gh. Saryan’s preferred field of creation was the symphony and chamber music. He was also an author of songs, romances and music for films. His musical compositions for full-symphony orchestra like "Symphonic Images" (1956), 'Panel Armenia', inspired by his father’s painting (1966), Concert for violin and orchestra (1972), "Symphony" (1980), "Passacaglia" (1994) are notable for the significance of their content, a rich sense of musical timbre. Gh. Saryan is an outstanding master of orchestra. His refined, laconic style blends national modes of expression and innovatory spirit of the XX century. Lazar Saryan was also a renowned public man and pedagogue.