Hampartzoum Berberian


Hampartzoum Berberian was an Armenian composer, conductor and political activist.

Biography

Born in the Adana province of the Ottoman Empire, Berberian was the youngest of 13 children. During the 1915 Armenian genocide, he fled to Aleppo, Syria, where he found refuge in the local American orphanage. There his musical gifts became evident.
Through Smyrna, he ended up in Greece, where he decided to become a musician. Berberian enrolled in the Athens Conservatory, studying conducting with Dimitri Mitropoulos. He graduated in 1929. In addition to the indisputable gifts as a composer, Berberian was talented as a violinist, conductor and teacher. In 1931, he was appointed Associate Dean to the Hellenic Conservatory in Cyprus, where he built a reputation as a successful composer and conductor.
In 1945, Catholicos Karekin I of Cilicia invited him to Lebanon to serve as music teacher at the Antelias Theological Seminary, as well as in the schools of the Armenian General Benevolent Union. During this time, Berberian composed many works and conducted numerous concerts. He traveled to various cities in the Middle East, Europe, North and South America, disseminating Armenian music generally and his own work particularly. From then on, he also became the musical operative of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party.
Politically active on Armenian issues, Berberian and several other representatives of the Armenian diaspora met with Nikita Khrushchev in Yerevan on May 7, 1961, during the post-Stalin Thaw. In the meeting, they raised the question of the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakhichevan with Soviet Armenia. Berberian specifically "expressed hope that 'in a peaceful way, Comrade Khrushchev would make exceptional surprise' for his diasporan guests and for 'the entire Armenian people,' implicitly referring to Mountainous Karabakh."
Berberian moved to the United States in 1962 and became a naturalized citizen in 1968. He lived in Watertown, Massachusetts, and was the director of music ministry at the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was honored by many religious leaders and secular organizations for his contributions in music, culture and education. He died in Watertown on March 13, 1999, at the age of 93.

Selected compositions

Stage works

Թիթեռ Շողիկ Արեգնազան
  • ''Թամար''

Orchestral works

Choral works with instrumental accompaniment

Ուրախ լեր մայր լուսոյ Սարտարապատ Խորհուրդ Վարդանանց Ղարաբաղ
  • "Requiem Aeternam" Սայաթ Նովա Եկեղեցին հայկական
  • "Lincoln at Gettysburg" - Choral Oration Աղօթք վաղուան սեմին առջեւ
  • "Resurrection" - Cantata Sacra
  • 4 Նայիրեան խմբերգներ - Հայաստանի գովքը, Գութաներգ, Խօսք իմ որդուն, ''Հայոց համբարձումը''

Choral works

Սարերի աղջիկ Գիւղացի գեղեցկուհին
  • ''Խաչը''

Songs with piano

Սէր մը գաղտնի Կ՚անձրևէ տղաս Ոսկի երազ Սիրտս Աչքերդ Սէր Սիրերգ Հասուն արտ Շէկլիկ աղջիկ Անոր Երգ Հայաստանի
  • 8 Աշուղական խաղեր, Սայաթ Նովայի խօսքերով
  • 5 Նայիրեան երգեր - 1. Գիւղ հայրենի, 2. Զմրուխտ սարից հովեր կու գան, 3. Վարուժնակիս, 4. Գողթան երգը, 5. ''Լուսաւորչի կանթեղը''

Organ

Ուրախ լեր
  • ''Խորհուրդ խորին''