Igor Yavryan

Half a century of the history of the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan has passed with the bright and beautiful presence of Igor Yavryan (1943–2017) — Honored Artist of the Republic of Armenia, longtime Piano Professor, and the head of the Piano Faculty and the Department of Professional Piano.

He lived a life dedicated to his students and disciples—that was what mattered most to him. The love he gave was mutual and evident. He passed on to his students the unspoken nuances of poetry and literature, the unseen sources of visual art, turning them into true people of art. The pianists of the “Yavryan School,” who began their creative and pedagogical lives with such an inheritance, are now musicians who live and work with distinctive inspiration.

The family created by Igor Yavryan was also imbued with the same creative spirit—the presence of his children and his crystal-clear, noble wife, Dr. Seyranush Manukyan, Candidate of Art Studies, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Arts of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, and Associate Professor at the Chair of History and Theory of Armenian Art at Yerevan State University—a distinguished figure in contemporary Armenian art scholarship.

Igor Yavryan was born in Tbilisi. His father’s family had fled there from Van after the Armenian Genocide. His father, a philosopher and administrative leader, had a distinguished record of loyal service to the Homeland; his mother, trained as a solo singer, devoted her life to her family and four children.

Yavryan’s first musical steps were taken at Tbilisi Music School No. 1 (1949), then at the Z. Paliashvili Music College No. 2 (1957–1961). From 1961 to 1967, he studied at the Moscow P. Tchaikovsky Conservatory. He greatly wished to study under the exceptional musician Lev Vlassenko, and according to his written request, the future classic of the Soviet piano school was invited to teach there. Igor Yavryan became his first student.

After graduating from the conservatory, he chose to serve in the Soviet Army rather than accept a teaching position in Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan). In 1969, he began teaching at the Sukhumi Music College, leading the professional piano studio.

In 1972, a new chapter began in his life—the service to his Homeland. He led the professional piano program at the Romanos Melikian Music College, and that same year, he was invited to teach at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, joining the Department of Chamber Ensemble under the leadership of Levon Mamikonyan.

In 1980, he was a postgraduate student in Professor Yuri Hayrapetyan’s class. In 1987, he moved to the Department of Professional Piano. From 1972 to 1997, he advanced through all teaching ranks — lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor, and finally full professor. In 2003 and 2008, he was unanimously elected as the dean of the Piano Faculty and the head of the Department of Professional Piano and Organ Studies. He led and participated in juries of national and international competitions.

Igor Yavryan was a musician of many dimensions. He was a brilliant performer and an incredibly influential pedagogue.


Through his active performing career, he appeared as a soloist, accompanist, and ensemble musician. His first professional public performance after graduation from the Moscow Conservatory was with the Abkhazian State Philharmonic. Later, his rich concert biography included performances in Simferopol, Yalta, and with symphony orchestras of the Armenian Radio Committee. His piano sounded at plenums and congresses of the Union of Composers of Armenia, on radio and television, and in concerts dedicated to Soviet composers. With his piano trio, he toured throughout the USSR and abroad. His playing is preserved on the “Melodiya” record Armenian Chamber Music, and his recordings are archived in the Public Radio of Armenia. Mr. Yavryan was also a brilliant collaborative musician who performed with many celebrated musicians, such as Steven Isserlis.

He had a special affection for the piano legacy of the 20th century, with preferred works such as Igor Stravinsky’s Piano Concerto, which he also often suggested to his students. He was the first performer of several composers’ works, including those of Alemdar Karamanov. 

He was an amazing teacher. From his very first steps in pedagogy, his teaching was marked with vast knowledge of classical piano repertoire, an ability to reveal the artistic essence of a work, high standards, and mastery in drawing out each student’s individuality. His lessons were rich and boundless. Graduates of his studio have taught in institutions both in Armenia and abroad, many joining the ranks of the Conservatory’s faculty and accompanists. His piano class was a forge of laureates of international and national competitions and now-active performing musicians, including Marianna Shirinyan, Karine Gilanyan, Hrant Bagrazyan, Armine Aharonyan, Shogher Hoveyan, Anna Sarkisova, Tigran Berkelian, and many others.

Mr. Yavryan was also an experienced organizer. As the scientific secretary for performing arts at the Ministry of Education, he provided valuable guidance to young teachers. His extensive social and educational work in various schools of Armenia included supervision, auditions, and public concerts.

With his long pedagogical experience, Igor Yavryan also left behind scholarly and methodological works. His writings reflect his serious and thoughtful approach to artistic and technical issues, skillfully analyzing and generalizing material. Notable among them is “Beethoven’s Sonatas in Schnabel’s Edition: Methodological Guidelines.” His transcriptions of symphonic works by Edward Mirzoyan and Ghazaros (Lazar) Saryan for two pianos are still used in teaching and methodological practice.

As a musician and a teacher, Igor Yavryan held great authority and respect among faculty and students alike, and he lived that way until his very last moment.