Tagharan Ancient Music Ensemble
Tagharan Ancient Music Ensemble was founded in 1981. Until 1985 it was known as Sharakan. The founder and the first artistic director is Grigor Danielyan (Daniel Erazhisht).
From the very outset, Tagharan strive to reveal the gems of the Armenian medieval sacred hymns and present those to a wider public at concerts. The songs by medieval authors dating back to the 5th-15th centuries have always been present in Tagharan`s repertoire.
A special period in Tagharan’s history is concerned with the name of its former artistic director (1987-1994) Yervand Yerkanyan. Under his wise guidance a new large repertoire was created within quite a short time. It includes more than 300 valuable and exquisite interpretations of Armenian sacred, patriotic and folk songs. In addition, Tagharan started performing new original interpretations of numerous national patriotic and folk songs. In 1988, Tagharan was granted the status of a state ensemble. Since 1994, artistic director and principal conductor of Tagharan is the pianist Sedrak Yerkanyan, who continues to evaluate the aesthetic and artistic objectives of the ensemble.
Another fascinating aspect of Tagharan’s activity is the performance of pre-classical and baroque music. Holistic programs including old German, French, English, Italian and other music. Interpretations are quite remarkable thanks to the harmonious well measured performance of the soloists.
Tagharan has toured with concerts around Armenia and musical centers of the former Soviet Union.
It has respresented Armenian music abroad, particularly in Germany, Austria, France, Holland, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Argentine, Brazil, Uruguay, Cyprus, Syria and Lebanon.
The ensemble participated in many international festivals.
The Tagharan ensemble participated and participates in exclusive concerts organized by different embassies in Armenia. It also participated in various concerts organized by Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
The ensemble is constantly striving to enrich its repertoire. The poem «Karos Cross» and «Vark Himarats» play, based on the fairy tales of O. Tumanyan (composer D. Sakoyan), are presented to the public. With the «Horovels» we tried to do a complex mapping of horovels from all the provinces of Great Armenia. Some exciting novelties in the repertoire is the «Kochari Series», which we tried to map as we did with the horovels and the songs and dances of the Balu period, which are mostly unfamiliar to our music lovers. The mono-opera «Notes of Maria Volkonskaya» (by Ed. Sadoyan) is also remarkable.
for more info: http://tagharan.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/Tagharan
Sedrak Yerkanyan
artistic director and conductor
Gifted musician Sedrak Yerkanyan arrests attention with his high culture of performance. His brave inner emotionality whach is expressed in reserved and intelligent style of performance allows to fathom the depths of the performed works. The spiritual atmosphere created at the of the pianist is invaluable.
He was orn in Leninakan/Gyumri/, in 1954, obtained primary education in middle and music schools of Leninakan. Then studied at Yerevan Tchaikovsky High School. 1973-1978 studied (piano) at Komitas State Conservatoire of Yerevan. 1978-2000 was pianist concertmaster of academic choir of Armenia.
1990-1992 studied at Komitas State Conservatoire of Yerevan as conductor at class of Chekijyan. From 1994 is an artistic director and conductor of armenian ancient music ensemble "Tagharan".
Toured Great Britain (1989,1995), France (1986, 1995, 2001), USA (1987 ), USSR ( 1975- 1990 ), Syria ( 1992, 1993, 1994, 2002 ), Lebanon (1992, 1993, 1999 ), Greece (1990, 2002 ) Cyprus (2001 ) and Serbia (2003 ).
In 2012 honored artist of culture of Armenia.