Ada Hakobyan

(1936-2011)

Professor of the Yerevan State Conservatory after Komitas

Ada Hakobyan was born on February 10, 1936 in Yerevan. Her father, Grigor Hakobyan, was a Candidate of Sciences, and a political scientist, who went through the Great Patriotic War as a political instructor with the rank of colonel. He was a lecturer at the Yerevan State Linguistic University after Valery Bryusov. Her mother, Ruzanna Hambartsumyan, received a university education in Tbilisi and Yerevan.

In 1943, Ada entered the Music School after Alexander Spendiaryan, where Ermonya Harutyunyan became her first teacher. After finishing music school in 1950, she continued her studies for two years at the Yerevan Specialized Secondary Music School Named after Tchaikovsky, where her teachers were professors Georgy Sarajev and Nina Stepanyan.

Young Ada’s first musical impressions were formed in a family full of love for art.

In 1952, the Hakobyan family moved to Moscow for several years (the head of the family was offered the position of head of the Department of Philosophy and Political Economy at the Moscow Financial Institute), so Ada Hakobyan continued her further studies at the Central Music School of Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory. Here, Honored Teacher of Russia Anaida Sumbatyan became her piano teacher. Ada’s classmates were future famous pianists Vladimir Ashkenazy and Dmitri Sakharov. The atmosphere of educational process and communication at the Central Music School formed the worldview and improved piano art.

Ada Hakobyan’s student years were spent at the Yerevan State Conservatory after Komitas (1956-1961), where her teacher in the special piano class was Professor Silva Bunatyan, under whose guidance she studied quite a large repertoire.

She studied as an accompanist in two classes: Martha Navasardyan’s (instrumental accompaniment) and Yelena Ter-Ghevondyan’s (vocal accompaniment). In the chamber ensemble class, she studied with Tamara Ilyukhina.

Ada Hakobyan became a teacher and an accompanist first at the Music School after

Sayat-Nova (1962-1982) and then, beginning in 1967, an accompanist at the Department of Strings and Wind Instruments at the Yerevan State Conservatory.

Ada Hakobyan took part in two Transcaucasian competitions (in 1969 and 1973) and was twice awarded a diploma for the best accompanist. In 1969, in Riga, she participated in the All-Union Competition (for the 100th anniversary of Lenin), where she was also awarded a diploma for the best accompaniment.

During the years of active accompanist activity, Ada Hakobyan’s constant partner on stage was the laureate of the International Violin Competition after Henryk Wieniawski and soloist of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra Hrachya Harutyunian, with whom, beginning in 1973, she had more than four hundred concerts during fifteen years (including an ensemble program) in two hundred cities and towns of the Soviet Union (Siberia and Far East, Sakhalin, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Central Asia, the Baltic states, Azerbaijan and Georgia), as well as concerts in all regions of Armenia. The ensemble made recordings of some works by Western European and Armenian composers in Moscow (fourteen works on

the USSR State Television and Radio and ten works on Radio Armenia). “Three Retrospections” by Vahram Babayan was recorded for the first time (and a CD was released).

At the State Television and Radio of Armenia, Ada Hakobyan made thematic video recordings of some works by Armenian composers, as well as some recordings with violinist Hrachya Harutyunian, cellist Geronti Talalyan, and flutist Levon Aloyan. There were about forty works in total.

Ada Hakobyan participated in anniversary concerts (for the 60th anniversary of Soviet Armenia) in Moscow, Russia Concert Hall, Leningrad, and Rostov.

In 1987, in Finland (for the Days of Armenian Culture), Ada Hakobyan participated in concerts with vocalists Ruben Telunts, Eleonora Melkumyan, and violinist Hrachya Harutyunian.

Among the soloists with whom Ada Hakobyan played recitals in Yerevan and other cities of Armenia were violinist Zoya Petrosyan, cellists Felix Simonyan, laureates of the All-Union Cello Competition Narine Harutyunyan and Aram Talalyan, Vahe Hayrikyan, Liparit Terzyan, double bassist Vahe Terzyan, as well as vocalists Lina Matinyan, Eleonora Melkumyan and Ruben Telunts.

In 1971, Ada Hakobyan began teaching at the Department of Accompanist Training at the Yerevan State Conservatory. In 1989, she was awarded the title of Associate Professor, and in 1994 — Professor.

The head of the Department of Accompanist Training at the Moscow Conservatory, Professor M.A. Smirnov, who presided over the state exams at the Yerevan State Conservatory in 1989, highly appreciated Ada Hakobyan’s teaching work: “The performances of Ada Hakobyan’s students stand out with the correct understanding of style and professionalism, and are invariably gaining appreciation.»

1996-2005: Ada Hakobyan headed the Department of Accompanist Training at the Yerevan Conservatory. More than one hundred and fifty undergraduates and fifteen graduate students have graduated from her class. The Department of Accompanist Training continued its work with the help of its former students, professors Margarita Sargsyan and Susanna Yeritsyan, as well as associate professors Nune Hambartsumyan and Anna Mandalyan (who died untimely in 2013).

Professor Ada Grigorievna Hakobyan is the author of five educational and methodological works: “Principles of the Creativity of Johannes Brahms”, “Vocal as the Fundamental Beginning of the Works by Gustav Mahler”, “Gustav Mahler’s Vocal Cycles and Their Performance Analysis”, “Methodological Recommendations for the Performance of Piano Parts in an Ancient Cello Sonatas on the Example of two Sonatas — Jean-Baptiste Bréval and Giuseppe Valentini”, “Vocal creativity of Tigran Mansurian (Ways of Interpretations)”.

Ada Hakobyan was awarded the Veteran of Labor medal.

Ada Hakobyan and her husband, professor at the Yerevan State Conservatory, pianist Robert Shugarov, had a son, Ruben Shugaryan, a connoisseur and admirer of classical music and the first ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the USA.

online application

By clicking "SEND" below, I certify that the information provided in this application form is accurate and complete. I understand that contact information marked with a asterisk (*) will be displayed on the website (www.armenianpianists.com). I understand that the Armenian PIanists Association may request proof of study or proof of a master's degree. I understand that the information on the website is subject to approval by the Board of Directors of the Armenian Pianists Association (NGO).