Armen Tigranian

Armen Tigranian was an Armenian music composer and conductor. His best-known works were two national operas, Anoush (premiere: Alexandropol, 4 (17) August 1912, the first opera performance in Armenia) and Davit Bek (1950); the latter of which premiered only months before his death and was his final composition.

Tigranian was born in Alexandropol, Armenia. He started becoming interested in music at a very early age. In 1902, Tigranian finished the Tbilisi Music College, studying composition with Makar Ekmalyan. He devoted himself to teaching and continued composing music, mainly songs and romances in Armenian folk traditions.   

Tigranian's opera Anoush, written in 1908 and remodelled in 1932, is called the "national opera of the Armenian people". Anoush, based on Hovhannes Tumanian's story of country romance and tragedy captured the attention of audiences and became a perennial of the concert repertoire. The American premiere of Anoush took place in 1981 at Michigan Opera Theatre.

The history of Karabakh Melikdoms inspired the opera David Bek (1950).

Among the other works by Tigranian are the drama Leily and Mejnun, Eastern Dance for symphonic orchestra and New Spring chorus for 4 voices.