Margarita Melik-Stepanyan

Margarita Melik-Stepanyan was born in Yerevan, in 1933. Her father, Vachagan Melik-Stepanyan, was a financier. Her mother, Teresa Melik-Stepanyan, was an honorary economist of Armenia. Her maternal grandfather, Vasiliy Mirzoev, graduated from the Institute of Civil Engineers in St. Petersburg and worked for several years in Finland. In the late 1890s, at his request, the management sent him to Armenia, to Yerevan. Vasiliy Mirzoev became the first architectural engineer in Armenia. Under his project were Yerevan’s water supply system, roads, Churches, many buildings, and, in particular, the first building of the Yerevan State University. The name of Mirzoev remains in the history of Armenian architecture. Alexander Tamanian, the author of the master planning for the construction of Yerevan, marked the buildings of the architect Vasiliy Mirzoev on the map so that they would certainly be preserved in Yerevan. Today they beautify the city.

In 1939, Margarita, at the age of six, entered the newly opened Yerevan ten-year music school (now The Tchaikovsky Secondary Music School) in the class of the famous teacher, pianist Robert Andreasian, with whom she studied for five years.

Later, Margarita studied for three years with Professor Alexander Zeilinger, who came from Leningrad (St. Petersburg) in 1945. The last year of her schooling was spent in the class of Georgiy Sarajev, with whom she continued her studies at the Yerevan State Conservatory (1949-1954).

Melik-Stepanyan had her accompanist training lessons in the class of Marta Navasardyan.

In 1954, having graduated with honors from the Yerevan State Conservatory, Margarita Melik-Stepanyan worked for a year at the Etchmiadzin Music School (director- S. Mekinyan) as a teacher and accompanist. In 1955, she worked in the Alexander Spendiaryan National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre as a vocal accompanist. She worked there (with a two-year break) until 1973. These were years of active creative work under the leadership of leading conductors — M. Tavrizian, and S. Charekyan and young promising ones — A. Katanyan, and Yu. Davtyan. During that time, Margarita Melik-Stepanyan’s repertoire included over sixty opera claviers (forty-six were complete, and sixteen were separate parts and scenes).

The theatre staff began to work with particular enthusiasm after the appointment of a new director of the theatre (1962-1967) — composer, People’s Artist of the USSR Edgar Hovhannisyan.

The years of work in the theatre were marked by an unforgettable solo concert with the People’s Artist of the USSR Anatoliy Solovianenko. Margarita Melik-Stepanyan performed as an accompanist on behalf of the management of the Opera and Ballet Theater.

In 1967, Melik-Stepanyan met with the soloist of the Metropolitan Opera (New York) Lili Chookasian, who was invited to Yerevan to participate in the opera “Arshak II” by Tigran Chukhadjian. After several rehearsals, Lili Chookasian invited Margarita Melik-Stepanyan to participate in her solo concert. Melik-Stepanyan was happy to continue the communication with the outstanding singer.

There were other collaborations with foreign singers. In 1972, she had a concert with Lin Duryan, the soloist of the Grand Opera (The Palais Garnier, also known as Opéra Garnier, Paris). Their performances took place in Yerevan (2003-2009) and in the capital of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Stepanakert (where they performed songs by Komitas). The program was later recorded on CD.

All these years, Margarita Melik-Stepanyan continued performing as an accompanist with various soloists in the cities of the USSR and abroad (over one hundred trips). Let’s note a few: West Berlin (1972), soloists — violinist Eduard Tadevosyan, singers — Gegham Grigoryan and Ruzanna Bagdasaryan; Egypt (1975), soloists — singers Elvira Uzunyan, Albina Hakobyan, Marietta Antonyan; USA (Philadelphia, Boston, New York) and Canada (Montreal) ( 1982), soloists — cellist Medea Abrahamyan, singers — Barsegh Tumanyan, Razmik Papikyan, Liliya Ovchyan; Poland (1989), soloists — singers Elvira Uzunyan, Mkrtich Mkrtchyan.

The All-Union recording company “Melodia” released a record of romances based on poems by Avetik Isahakyan, including Edvard Mirzoyan’s romance “Asum en te” (arm: «Ասում են, թե» — eng: «So They Say») performed by Melania Abovian and Margarita Melik-Stepanyan.

Over the years, many famous singers performed with Melik-Stepanyan: Nar Hovhannisyan (by the way, he worked on his opera parts only with her), Gohar Gasparyan, Tatevik Sazandaryan, Gohar Galachyan, Gegham Grigoryan, Angela Harutyunyan, Melania Abovian, Edvard Bagdasaryan, Ellada Chakhoyan, Maria Chmshkyan, Karpis Zobyan (Romania), young musicians Karine Baghdasaryan, Ruzanna Baghdasaryan, Karine Mkrtchyan, Eleonora Melkumyan. Margarita Melik-Stepanyan accompanied famous instrumentalists — violinist Eduard Tadevosyan, cellist Medea Abrahamyan, and others.

There were also stock recordings with various soloists, made on Radio Armenia (about twenty works were recorded).

Melik-Stepanyan’s ties with Armconcert continued for over thirty years (1958-1989).

Margarita Melik-Stepanyan was an active participant in the concerts of the “Philharmony of a Schoolchild” together with singers Gohar Galachyan, Angela Harutyunyan, Elvira Uzunyan, Sergey Danielyan, Robert Baburyan, violinist Zoya Petrosyan, and many others.

In 1962, Melik-Stepanyan was invited to work at the Yerevan State Conservatory as an accompanist. In 1969, continuing her performing activities and having extensive accompanist experience, she began teaching at the Department of Accompanist Training (until 2013).

In 1989, Margarita Melik-Stepanyan received the title of Associate Professor, and in 1996 — Professor.

Her work was highly appreciated in the reviews by People’s Artists of the USSR Nar Hovhannisyan, Gohar Gasparyan, Alexander Arutiunian, Edvard Mirzoyan, Avet Terterian; People’s Artists of Armenia Hakob Voskanyan, Elvira Uzunyan, and others. Over the years, about one hundred and fifty students and eleven graduate students have graduated from the accompanist training class of Margarita Melik-Stepanyan.

It is necessary to note Melik-Stepanyan’s participation in the events of the Republican Methodological Cabinet under the Ministry of Culture of Armenia.

She was invited to the jury of the Republican vocal competitions after A. Karapetyan (1999) and A. Isahakyan (2000).

М. Melik-Stepanyan was the author of methodological works and articles.

Margarita Melik-Stepanyan is the compiler and editor of collections of all vocal works by A. Terteryan, and E. Oganesyan, as well as collections of romances by V. Balyan, the collection “From the repertoire of Elvira Uzunyan”, editor of E. Oganesyan’s arrangement of the folk song “Lusnyak gisher” (“Moon Night”), N. Khachatryan’s collection “Three Dances from the Works of A. Khachaturian” for flute, cello, and piano.

Margarita Melik-Stepanyan was awarded Certificates of Honor from the Central Committee of the Komsomol of Armenia, the Omsk and Ulyanovsk regional committees of the CPSU, and the executive committees of the regional Councils of People’s Deputies, the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR, the Central Committee of the Trade Union of Cultural Workers and the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy. She had numerous diplomas, certificates, commendations, and the medal “Veteran of Labour”.