Yelena Abadjian

Yelena Abadjian was born in 1922 in Tiflis (now Tbilisi) into a family of educators. Her father received his education in Moscow and taught geography at a gymnasium. In Moscow, he met his future wife, who was studying at the Boarding School for Noble Maidens. Soon after, the family moved and settled in Leninakan (now Gyumri).

Abadjian displayed musical talent at a very young age. After receiving her initial education at a music school, she continued her studies at the Kara-Murza Music College under the guidance of the experienced teacher Khununts, who nurtured her students in a spirit of high professionalism, identifying each individual’s unique skills and abilities.

In 1934, Yelena participated in the Republican Olympiad for Young Talents and won the first prize. In 1939, she decided to continue her studies in Moscow. She enrolled at The Gnessin State College of Music, where she was taught by Elena Gnesina. However, after studying for a year, she fell ill with pneumonia and had to return home to Leninakan.

Abadjian had talents not only in music, but she was also interested in biology and medicine, and her father very much wanted her to pursue a medical education. After graduating from the music school, she applied to medical school, passed all the exams, and was accepted into the medical institute.

Once, when she visited her friend at the conservatory, she sat down at the piano and began playing. After a while, the door opened and the rector of the Yerevan State Conservatory, Konstantin Saradzhev, entered. Interested in the personality of Yelena Abadjan and learning that she had been admitted to the medical institute, and impressed by her playing, he immediately ordered her to take her documents and submit them to the conservatory.

Thus, Yelena Abadjan ended up at the conservatory. She was admitted to the piano department in the class of Robert Andreasian, one of the founders of the Armenian piano school, a brilliant and talented teacher and performer.

During her years of study, Abadjan established herself as a talented and hardworking student, for which she was awarded the Stalin scholarship.

While studying, she periodically performed as a soloist and in ensembles.

In 1945, after graduating from the conservatory, she worked for almost 70 years at the piano department, passing on her professional knowledge, skills, and experience to her students.

Abadjian also taught at the Alexandr Spendiaryan Music School (1947-1952) and at the Tchaikovsky Music School (1950-2006).

For many years, she provided methodological assistance to music schools in Yerevan, Leninakan, and Kapan. She conducted open lessons that were distinguished by high professionalism and mastery.

She is the author of methodological manuals. Together with Shushanik Apoyan, she compiled and edited a collection of piano works by Armenian composers.

She provided invaluable assistance to young, beginner teachers.

For her long and fruitful pedagogical activity, she mentored the laureates of the Transcaucasian Piano Competition, G. Kasabyan and S. Yerkanian. Many of her students are actively engaged in teaching and performing, not only in the Republic but also beyond its borders.