Arno Babajanian

Babadjanyan studied at the Erevan Conservatory, the Moscow Conservatory and at the House of Armenian Culture in Moscow under Litinsky. A brilliant pianist, he was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1971. His compositions are influenced by Khachaturian and Rakhmoninov and are in a virtuoso style with expressive leading parts. His later works contain chromaticism similar to that of Prokofiev, Bartókian rhythms and dodecaphony as in the work of Schoenberg. His variation technique is rooted in folk ornamentation and his irregular rhythms spring from peasant music. Fine examples of his work are his Violin Sonata, the Cello Concerto and Shest' kartin, for piano. ~ Lynn Vought