SOUREN CHAREKYAN (1901-1979)

Conductor/Professor/ People’s Artist of RA, Merited Artist of Uzbekistan
Worked with Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor in 1927-1929.

Souren Charekyan was born in Tbilisi and graduated from the Tbilisi State Conservatory. He continued his music education at the Leningrad Conservatory graduating in 1932.
In 1928, being just a 4th year student of Tbilisi Conservatory, he was invited to move to Armenia in order to undertake the conductorship of the Yerevan Conservatory Symphony Orchestra (by that time Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra acted as Yerevan Conservatory Orchestra). Charekyan’s work promoted the professional growth of the orchestra and resulted to the significant extension of the repertoire. Later Charekyan worked with the same orchestra when Yerevan Opera Theatre was founded and the Conservatory Orchestra’s all members were involved in the works of the opera.
From 1932-34 and 1944-1979 he was a conductor at Yerevan Opera Theater (1957-1964 as Principal Conductor).  Charekyan conducted operas like T. Choukhadjian’s “Leblebiji”, “Arshak II”, L.Khoja-Einatian’s “Namus”, G.Armenian’s “Khachatur Abovyan”, and works by European composers.   From 1934-1936 Souren Charekyan was the Principal Conductor of Tbilisi Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theater, and from 1936-1944 Principal Conductor of Opera Theater of Tashkent in Uzbekistan, having considerably enlarged the repertoire of Uzbek National Opera. Charekyan taught at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory in 1927-1929, 1932-1934, 1945-1948 and 1954-1979.