Honored Artist of Armenia
Professor of the Armenian State Pedagogical University after Kh. Abovyan
Karlen Topchyan was born on February 14, 1937, in Leninakan (now Gyumri). His father, Khachatur Topchyan, was a civil engineer, whose ancestors, originally from Erzerum (in Historical Armenia: Karin), first settled in Akhaltsikhe, and then in Tbilisi. His mother, Anahit Shekoyan, was a lover of classical music. After the wedding, at her request, her husband bought a piano. In the 1930s, the head of the family was sent to construction of the Shirak Canal and the family moved to Leninakan (Gyumri).
Since childhood, Karlen showed a passion for music (fortunately, there was an instrument in the house), and in 1944, his parents enrolled him in the Music School after Nikoghayos Tigranian in the class of Elena Khununts (the daughter of wealthy parents from Tbilisi, who graduated from the Leipzig Conservatory (University of Music and Theatre Leipzig) in 1914). Learning was easy for Karlen from the first grade, thanks to his excellent natural musical abilities. He played in all the school’s concerts and evenings dedicated to the works of composers.
After graduating from the seven-year school in 1951, Karlen Topchyan entered the Leninakan Music College after Kara-Murza to the class of Delli Melikyan. At the school, as an accompanist, for the first time, the fifteen-year-old boy went on tour to Kutaisi, Batumi, and Tsqaltubo with the choir of the Teachers’ House (director V. Umr-Shat). The communication with young musicians-teachers who came from Yerevan to work at the school was unforgettable: violinist Gevorg Ajemyan (they played a lot, Topchyan learned a lot from him in terms of professionalism), singer Louise Nalbandian (Karlen accompanied her in concerts), Vladilen Balyan, appointed director of the school (just then the educational institution was named after Kristapor Kara-Murza).
In 1955-1960, Topchyan continued his studies at the Yerevan State Conservatory in the class of Professor Robert Andreasian. He mastered a varied repertoire in the class of his beloved teacher. Indelible in Topchyan’s memory were his performances of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Concerto for 3 Pianos BWV 1063 (with students Robert Shugarov and Tatevos Asmaryan) and “The Carnival of the Animals» by Camille Saint-Saëns (with Robert Shugarov) accompanied by the Student Chamber Orchestra of the conservatory under the baton of student conductor German Terteryan.
Since 1957, Topchyan taught at the Music School after Saradzev and worked as an illustrator in the class of composer Grigor Yeghiazaryan (1960-1961), where he freely sight-read new works by student composers. While studying in his fifth year at the conservatory, Karlen Topchyan, together with singer Eduard Bagdasarian, went on a tour of Central Asia (Krasnovodsk (now Turkmenbashi), Ashgabat, Frunze (now Bishkek), Alma-Ata, Tashkent, Karaganda, Semipalatinsk, Tselinograd (now Astana). There they performed some pop songs and works of Russian and Armenian classics. Topchyan also performed in these concerts as a soloist, performing «Nocturne» from the “Suite 1922” Op.26 by Paul Hindemith, and «Toccata» by Aram Khachaturian.
From 1958 to 1962 he worked as an accompanist at the Alexander Spendiaryan National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre: in the initial period — in a ballet troupe, and later he accompanied singers.
In 1962, Topchyan entered the graduate school of the Yerevan State Conservatory; however, due to frequent absences because of a busy touring schedule (since 1962 he became the accompanist of the State Choir of Armenia) he was expelled from the graduate school in a thoughtless and hasty decision.
On November 23, 1963, Karlen Topchyan accompanied singer R. Baburyan in a solo concert in the Small Philharmonic Hall (now Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall).
On October 26, 1964, an evening dedicated to the 95th anniversary of Komitas took place at the conservatory, in which some of his unfamiliar choirs sounded. The report was read by Professor Robert Atayan, he also showed these works with the choir, and Topchyan performed intermediate versions of the presented works on the piano. After the evening, congratulating Topchyan, Atayan expressed the opinion that the piano versions “somehow sounded better.”
There were two solo concerts with singer Lusine Zakaryan in the Great Hall of the Philharmonic (Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall), in one of which (10/26/1969) Topchyan accompanied on the organ during one section (the other section was accompanied by Juliet Svasyan).
As already mentioned, in 1962 Topchyan was accepted as accompanist of the State Choir of Armenia (from 1961 to the present day its permanent artistic director and chief conductor is Ohannes Tchekidjian). When Ohannes Tchekidjian was looking for an accompanist, Topchyan decided to try his hand and came to the audition. The maestro put the notes of Bedřich Smetana’s «Cantata for Mixed Voices and Orchestra» on the music stand. After Topchyan’s performing of several pages of the orchestral introduction, he was satisfied with the playing and sight-reading of the young pianist and said: “Tomorrow you will come to work.”
Topchyan worked at the Capella for sixteen long years. These were years full of studying and enriching the choral repertoire of the group (more than seven hundred titles), which included major works by world classics, modern Armenian choral music (numerous premieres), and composers of the USSR republics. The choral works by Armenian classics were performed — Komitas, Makar Yekmalyan, Kristapor Kara-Murza, Tigran Chukhajian, Armen Tigranyan, Alexander Spendiaryan, Parsegh Ganatchian, and others. This was a period of the rapid growth of the Armenian choral performing arts when numerous tours were carried out throughout the Soviet Union and foreign countries.
During the years of Topchyan’s work, the Capella collective was awarded the honorary title “Academic” by the order of the USSR Ministry of Culture (1969). Recordings of works by Armenian and Soviet composers performed by the Capella were awarded the international Grand Prix award in Paris (1970). The collective was awarded the title of Honored Collective of Armenia (1975).
During his years of work in the choral chapel, Karlen Topchyan accompanied many famous Armenian and foreign singers. Among them are Gohar Gasparyan, Pavel, Karina, Ruzanna and Ruben Lisitsian, Olga Gabayan, Gohar Galachyan, Lusine Zakaryan, Mihran Erkat, Shara Talyan, Isabella Aydinyan, Hovhannes Badalyan, Suren Shahidjanyan, Albert Khachatryan, Sergey Danielyan, Hakob Avetisyan, Seda Kurbanyan, Boris Grekov, Anna Sarajyan, Anna Nshanyan, Emma Sarkisyants, as well as Maria Bieșu, Laima Anderson, Gurijs Antipov, Žermēna Heine-Vāgnere, Mikhail Dovenman, Kārlis Zariņš, Nina Isakova, Galina Kalinina, Israel Feigelson, Alice Shamiryan, and many others.
The Yerevan Film Studio after Hamo Beknazarian invited accompanist Karlen Topchyan to take part in the creation of the musical operetta film “Karine” by Tigran Chukhajyan (after its release in 1967, this film was loved by many generations). He had to learn the vocal parts of the main characters with soloists-singers Gohar Gasparyan, Tigran Levonyan, and David Poghosyan.
In 1977, Karlen Topchyan was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Armenia.
At one of the Capella’s Moscow concerts, there was a senior official from the USSR Ministry of Culture, who, having congratulated him after the concert and knowing about Topchyan’s desire to work (at some point) abroad, invited him to go to Egypt (a group of arts workers was being formed to work in this country). In 1978-1981, Karlen Topchyan continued his creative biography in Egypt at the “Higher School of Arts” (here worked the violinist Zare Sahakyants, dancer and choreographer Vilen Galstyan, and here, artist R. Elibekyan staged the ballet “Gayaneh” by A. Khachaturian). Topchyan worked as an accompanist at the Academy of Choreography and performed in concerts organized by the Armenian diaspora of Cairo. As a soloist, he performed works by A. Khachaturian, A. Arutiunian, A. Babajanyan, and Sayat-Nova, arranged by R. Andreasian, and other composers. He also was accompanying singers and instrumentalists.
On May 9, 1979, Karlen Topchyan gave a solo concert in Cairo. The performances included Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331 / 300i, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2, Frédéric Chopin’s Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 69, No. 1, Waltz in B minor, Op. 69, No. 2, and Grande Valse brillante In A Minor, Op. 34, No. 2, “Three musical scenes” by Alexander Arutiunian, “Kamancha” by Sayat-Nova arranged by Robert Andreasian, “Vagharshapat dance” by Arno Babajanyan, and «Toccata» by Aram Khachaturian.
After the well-known events in Afghanistan and the entry of Soviet troops there, by decision of the Egyptian government, the mission of the artists was interrupted, and they were sent back to their homeland. But it should be noted that the Armenian diaspora in Cairo did not forget its compatriots: in 1992, soloist of the Alexander Spendiaryan National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre Razmik Papikyan and accompanist Karlen Topchyan were invited to give concerts there.
After returning to Yerevan in 1981, Karlen Topchyan worked as an accompanist and teacher in music schools and the churches of St. Gayane and St. Sarkis.
In 1986, a competition was announced at the State Pedagogical Institute named after Khachatur Abovian for the position of head of the instrumental department. After presenting his biography, Karlen Topchyan was elected to this position. He remained in this post until 2009. He worked at his department until the end of his life in 2017.
In 1991, Topchyan received the title of Associate Professor, and in 2002 — Professor.
In 2002, at the Music School after Tigran Chukhajyan, in a concert dedicated to the 80th anniversary of beloved professor, Honored Artist of Armenia Robert Andreasian, Vahe Aharonyan (first piano) with Karlen Topchyan (second piano) performed his Piano Concerto.
During the first performance of the concerto by Robert Andreasian, the second piano part was performed by Vahe Aharonyan.
Karlen Topchyan is the author and compiler of the “Anthology of Musical Works” for students of music faculties of pedagogical universities. In 2008, the collection “Piano Manual” was published. It contains his arrangements and transcriptions of Armenian folk songs and melodies for piano (poetic texts are also included), as well as pieces by Armenian composers.
Karlen Topchyan is the editor of some sonatinas by Armenian composers: Levon Chaushyan (No. 3, 4); Ruben Sargsyan (No. 4), Tigran Mansurian (No. 2), which was included in the collection “Sonatinas by Armenian Composers”. He also made some transcriptions for piano.