ARNO BABAJANIAN - HEROIC BALLAD

Arno Babajanian received the Stalin Prize of 1950 for his Heroic Ballade for piano with orchestra and the Order of the Red Banner of Labour. The Conductor is David Hakobovich Khanjian` One of the great Armenian Conductors of 20th century. Laureate of State Prize. Worked with Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor in 1974-1981. David Khanjian studied music at Yerevan Conservatoire, classes of Professor Robert Andreasyan (piano) and Professor Mikael Maluntsyan (conducting). In 1972 – 1973 David Khanjian refined his conducting skills at Vienna Academy of Music coached by H.Svarovsky and G.Cherkh. Later he taught at Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory.
Khanjian’s era is marked by extending the repertoire when compositions like Richard Strauss’ Poems (“Don Quixote”, “Death and Transfiguration”, “Also Sprach Zarathustra”), Mahler’s Symphonies No.1 and No.5, Ballet Suites (“Firebird”, “Petrushka”, “The Rite of Spring”) and the Violin Concerto by Stravinsky, “Enchanted Tangerine” and Piano Concerto No.2 by Bartok, “The Sea” by Debussy were presented. Works by Armenian composers were highly essential in the repertoire (He was especially dedicated to performing the works of Avet Terteryan).
During his tenure the orchestra expanded its touring activities, performing in the concert halls of Moscow, Baltic republics, Transcaucasia, Leningrad, Kiev to delight of grateful audiences.