In
the constellation of Armenian musicians from the first half of the
twentieth century, between names like Gomidas Vartabed, Aram
Khachatourian, Alexander Spendiarian, Parsegh Ganachian, and others,
Romanos Melikian appears as a less shining star.
He
was born on October 1, 1883, in the city of Kizlyar, in the region of
Daghestan (Northern Caucasus). He received his primary education in the
parochial school, and continued his studies at the diocesan school of
Nor Nakhichevan, where his first music teacher was Kevork Chorekjian
(the future Catholicos of All Armenians Kevork VI). In 1900, at the age
of seventeen, he became the choirmaster of the church of Surp Kevork in
Nor Nakhichevan. He graduated in 1902 and went to study at the musical
school of Rostov. In those years, he had already arranged Armenian
popular songs and liturgical hymns for choir. In 1905 he left for Moscow
and, after a year of private classes, he was admitted to the Popular
Conservatory and directed the choir of the Lazarian Institute.
Poor
health and financial constraints forced Melikian to leave his education
unfinished and return to Nor Nakhichevan. He then went to Tiflis, where
he took a position as a music teacher at the Hovnanian School from
1908-1910. He gathered young musicians working within the local Armenian
schools and created the Musical League in 1908 with composer Azat
Manoukian. He continued composing songs for schools, using popular
motifs.
He
returned to school in 1910 and studied at the St. Petersburg
Conservatory until 1914. He went back to Tiflis in 1915 and continued
teaching. He had his first authorial concert in 1920, at the age of
thirty-seven. A year later, the government of Soviet Armenia invited him
to Yerevan to found a musical studio, which became a conservatory two
years later. In 1924 he went to Stepanakert, the new capital of
Karabagh, and founded a music school, and then went back to Tiflis,
where he led the activities of the musical section and the musical
school of the Armenian Art House (Hayartun).
Romanos
Melikian returned to Yerevan in 1926, where he established friendly
relations with Spendiarian. He participated in the work of staging
Spendiarian’s celebrated opera
Almast
and in the foundation of the Opera of Yerevan in 1933. He raised the issue of gathering Gomidas’ musical heritage in Armenia.
Composer,
musician, and educator, Melikian continued producing songs until the
end of his days. Some of them are still part of the repertoire of
soloists and choirs. He passed away on March 30, 1935, in Tiflis, and
was buried in the Pantheon of Yerevan. One of the musical schools of
Yerevan is named after him, as well as streets in Yerevan and other
cities of Armenia.
