YEREVAN (ArmRadio)—The famed Armenian conductor Ohan Durian died on the morning of January 6 at the age of 88.
Born in Jerusalem on September 2, 1922, Durian studied at the Jerusalem Conservatoire after which he immigrated to Europe where he performed with 110 prominent orchestras before moving to Armenia in 1959 where he worked as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra until 1964.
From 1963 to 1968, Durian conducted the Oper Leipzig and served as guest conductor for the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestras.
Throughout his life, Durian performed with 110 prominent orchestras, working with, among others, the opera and symphony orchestras of Avignon and Cape Town
Maestro Durian has been compared to such conductors as A.Toscanini, A.Nikisch, H.Karajan, L.Stokowsky and L.Bernstein.
Prior to his death, Durian served as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the “Ohan Durian” Radio&TV Symphony Orchestra, which he founded, and the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Yerevan Opera Theatre.
He is the author of two symphonic suites and was the first to perform many symphonic works by Armenian composers.
May God Bless your soul, MAESTRO.
May you rest in Peace.
Greetings from Leipzig/Germany! AKMAI
DOURIAN (Durjan, Dourian)-Archiv
Durian was an excellent conductor and studied at a young age in Jerusalem which is where the 40 Armenian orphans formed a band in the 1920s. The King of Ethiopia heard the band of orphans play and adopted the children (mostly boys) to Ethiopia.
We will miss Durian and his talents, however there are many conductors and composers that have been inspired by him.
Vanessa Kachadurian