Hagop Asadourian: With Komitas Vardapet - Produced by the Naregatsi Art Institute

Hagop Asadourian’s book “With Komitas Vardapet” is the artistic appreciation of the work performed by 20th century Armenian composer Komitas in the sphere of Armenian folk and spiritual music. The author, through analytical essays, focuses on the little-known episodes of his life, from the studying period in Echmiadzin before moving to Germany, then to the final period of departure from Echmiadzin to Istanbul.

Komitas (Soghomon Soghomonian) was an Armenian composer, music ethnologist, singer, music pedagogue, priest and musicologist.

He was born on October 8, 1869 in Kutahya, Ottoman Empire. In the period of 1881-1893 he studied in the Echmiadzin Gevorkian Seminary, and then continued his studies in the Berlin "Kaiser Friedrich Wilhelm" University, where under the support and supervision of Richard Schmidt in the period of 1896-99 he studied composition theory, psychology, philosophy, choral conducting, developed his voice, and learned playing piano and organ. Komitas is regarded as the founder of modern Armenian classical music. He died in Paris on October 22, 1935. In 1936 his ashes were transferred to Yerevan and buried in the Pantheon that was named after him.