Mariya Gambaryan

Born in 1925

The name of a remarkable pianist, Honored Artist of the Armenian SSR, and professor of the Gnesins Russian Academy of Music Maria Gambaryan is widely known.

For more than four decades, she has successfully performed in Moscow, Leningrad (St. Petersburg), other cities of the former Soviet Union, and abroad — in the USA, Germany, Yugoslavia, Spain, South Korea, Japan, and other countries.

Mariya Gambaryan’s performances enjoyed constant success, and the impressions from them remained in the memory of the listeners for many years…

Mariya Gambaryan was born in Yerevan. Her parents came from well-known Armenian families of Tiflis (Tbilisi), who gave bright and talented people of science, art, and military. Mariya’s father, Stepan Gambaryan, having received his education in Munich, moved to Yerevan. He played a big role in the foundation of chemical science, education, and chemical production in the republic.

Mariya’s mother, Sofya Tamamsheva, was a botanist, she worked in scientific institutions in Moscow, Leningrad (St. Petersburg), and Yerevan. Mariya probably inherited her musical abilities from her grandmother, Nina Bebutova-Gambaryan, nee Princess Bebutova, daughter of an Imperial Russian general and a member of a Georgian-Armenian noble family of Bebutashvili/Bebutov, Vasili Bebutov, who distinguished himself in the Crimean War. An educated woman, and an excellent pianist, she performed at the evenings held in her own home. Outstanding musicians who were giving concerts in Tiflis (Tbilisi) at that time were often invited there, among them: the Polish harpsichordist Wanda Landowska pianists Josef Hofmann, Heinrich Neuhaus and Konstantin Igumnov. The latter, many years later, became Mariya’s teacher. Komitas Vardapet also took part in the concerts, staying with his choir in this house during the Tiflis (Tbilisi) tour.

Marya’s musical abilities showed up very early. Somehow at the age of 3-4, having heard Sergei Rachmaninoff’s «Vocalise», the next day she sang it in its entirety. Many people remember the first performance of little Manyura (as those around her affectionately called her). It was held in the House of Culture of Armenia (now the Concert Hall named after Arno Babajanyan) in a concert of the best students of the Spendiaryan Music School.

To the surprise of others, in two years of study, the girl completed the full seven-year program. At the age of 11, she played Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15 with a symphony orchestra conducted by conductor and violinist Konstantin Saradzhev. An example is quite rare for that time. And in 1944 she participated in a show of Armenian art in Moscow.

Her life changed dramatically after moving to Moscow in 1937 and entering the Central Music School of Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory.

Having settled in the capital, during all subsequent years she left it twice: during the war years, returning to Yerevan, and after graduating from graduate school in Moscow, moving briefly to Leningrad (St. Petersburg), where she taught at the conservatory and was elected a soloist of the Philharmonic by competition.

The tragic events of 1937 also affected the Gambaryan family. The father was arrested and exiled, which created life’s difficulties and hardships, known in full, only to people who survived that cruel time. This was also important for her future musical career. Being «restricted from travel abroad», she lost the opportunity to participate in international competitions, which brought wide fame to her talent. Willpower and tireless work allowed her to improve her musical personality, successfully give concerts, and engage in pedagogical activities.

As a musician, Mariya Gambaryan went through an excellent school. Her studies at the Central Music School were led by Abram Shatskes, a student of Karl Medtner, and in graduate school she studied with Heinrich Neuhaus and Lev Oborin. Mariya took a full conservatory course in the class of Professor Konstantin Igumnov, the founder of one of the outstanding Soviet pianistic schools. In the class of Konstantin Igumnov, Mariya Gambaryan began to study at the time when he was evacuated to Yerevan during the war. She then continued and brilliantly completed her studies at the Moscow Conservatory.

It should be said that Leningrad musicians, in particular, Professor Yuri. Tyulin, Vera Razumovskaya, Isai Braudo, Kristofor Kushnarev, Nadezhda Golubovskaya, Vladimir Nielsen.

Of the outstanding foreign pianists, Glenn Gould, an innovative musician who opened a new era in the history of the interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s works, and not only Bach’s, influenced Mariya Gambaryan’s performing arts. Many outstanding musicians highly appreciate Mariya Gambaryan’s art. Among them are Konstantin Igumnov, Lev Oborin, Yakov Flier, Dmitri Bashkirov, and others. They note her musicality, virtuoso technical data, her delicate taste. Her artistry and «creative charm» are especially noted. «The Piano Poet» is called her in press reviews.

Mariya Gambaryan masters the art of piano singing, which is especially valuable for a musician. It is no coincidence that in the long list of performed authors, Chopin is her favorite. Her repertoire is extensive, it covers almost all the main styles of piano literature, because, according to her deep conviction, «all styles are subject to a professionally savvy pianist performer», provided that he has his own intonation, his own voice, this will manifest itself in all styles.

Of course, Mariya Gambaryan also turns to the music of the composers of her homeland — Aram Khachaturian, Arno Babajanyan, Levon Khoja-Eynatyan, Hrachia Melikyan, etc. But she prefers Komitas, whose compositions become, as it were, companions of her concert life. She is pleased that despite the bright national color, Komitas’s music reaches any European listener. Truly, true art transcends national boundaries.

Having accumulated vast experience, and realizing her artistic principles, in recent years she has turned to another area of activity — she conducts master classes in Armenia and abroad.

Many remember her performing analysis of all 24 etudes by Frédéric Chopin. The pianist subtly revealed the unique beauty of the images of the cycle and generously shared the secrets of her mastery. For example, in the intonational sphere of Etude No. 4, Op. 25 in A minor, she found a connection with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Requiem in D minor, K. 626, thereby confirming Robert Schumann’s saying: «Chopin is a romantic, but Mozart is written on his banner.»

The educational musical activity of this talented musician is also interesting: the evenings that she arranged in her large apartment. They were called «Assemblies». Mariya Gambaryan also inherited the ability to gather and unite people who love art from her grandmother. The assemblies brought together musicians, poets, artists, and scientists. Evenings were held in the form of concerts, carnivals, art exhibitions, and discussions. The audience especially remembered the concert dedicated to Komitas. In addition to piano pieces and songs, fragments from the little-known pianist’s own adaptation of the Divine Liturgy (Holy Liturgy) were performed. Separate fragments sounded in different arrangements: for voice, and piano, as well as performed by the «Moscow Baroque» Ensemble of Ancient Instruments.

Mariya Gambaryan is the founder and artistic director of the international festival of young pianists and master classes “Ruzsky Winter”, which, since 2006, has been held annually in Ruza, Ruzsky District, Moscow Oblast. Its program involves the acquaintance of young pianists with various modern schools. The festival is a bridge that promotes the exchange of experience and connects musicians from America, the Netherlands, Russia, and countries near and far abroad.

The life and work of Mariya Gambaryan are entirely devoted to music: “Without music, I can’t imagine my existence.”

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