Parsegh Ganachian (1885-1967)

Parsegh Ganachian (1885-1967)

Parsegh Ganachian was born in Rodosto (now, Tekirdag,) in 1885. He attended the Musical College of Bucharest. In 1908 he moved to Constantinople, where he founded the Knar Choir. He meets Gomidas and becomes one of Gomidas’ six students from 1913-1915. During the armistice, he composed “Harach nahadag” (“March on, Martyred…”) together with Kevork Garvarents. He organized concerts in Aleppo and Adana. After returning to Constanntinope, he established the Foundation of the Students of Gomidas in 1919-1920. The Foundation’s aim was to assist Gomidas’ students , so that they could go to Paris and improve their artistic abilities. In 1921, Ganachian moves to Paris, where he receives his higher education. Afterwards, in the Armenian communities, he takes upon himself the duties of music teacher and conductor. In 1932, he moved to Beirut, where, in 1936 he forms the Kousan Choir, which was highly appreciated both within Armenian and Lebanese circles. For many years Ganachian was the music teacher and the conductor at the Nshan Palanjian Lyceum of Hamazkayin (Djemaran.) He died in Beirut, in 1967. The Parsegh Ganachian Music College of Hamazkayin is named after him.