Djivan Gasparyan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Djivan Gasparyan
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Gasparyan in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Born | October 12, 1928 Solak, Armenian SSR, Transcaucasian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Died | July 6, 2021 (aged 92) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Armenian folk |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, score composer, musician |
| Instruments | Duduk |
| Years active | 1948–2021 |
| Labels | All Saints Records, SLG Records |
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Djivan Gasparyan (pronounced Jee-van Gas-par-yan; October 12, 1928 – July 6, 2021) was a famous Armenian musician and composer. He was a master of the duduk, a special Armenian woodwind instrument. The duduk is like a flute but has a unique, soulful sound. People often called Gasparyan the "Master of the duduk" because he played it so beautifully. In 2006, he was even nominated for a Grammy Award for his traditional world music album.
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Life Story of Djivan Gasparyan
Djivan Gasparyan was born in a place called Solak, Armenia. His family came from a town named Muş. He started playing the duduk when he was just six years old. When he was 20, in 1948, he became a main musician for the Armenian Song and Dance Popular Ensemble and the Yerevan Philharmonic Orchestra.
Awards and Honors
Gasparyan won four medals at worldwide music competitions held by UNESCO. These wins happened in 1959, 1962, 1973, and 1980. In 1973, he received a special award called People's Artist of Armenia. This title is given to artists who have done amazing things for Armenian culture. Later, in 2002, he got the WOMEX Lifetime Achievement Award. This award celebrates musicians who have made a huge impact on world music. He was also made an honorary citizen of Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia.
Teaching and New Music
Djivan Gasparyan was a professor at the Yerevan State Musical Conservatory. This means he taught many students how to play the duduk and helped them become professional musicians. He shared his knowledge and passion for the instrument with a new generation.
In 1998, he created a very special duduk group, a quartet (four musicians). He made new arrangements for them, using different kinds of duduks, including alto and bass versions. He said it was a very hard challenge, but the quartet became real. He proudly mentioned that there was no other group like it in the world.
Traveling the World with Music
Gasparyan traveled around the world many times. He performed traditional Armenian folk music with his small group. His unique music was also used in the soundtracks of several international movies.
He worked with many famous artists from different parts of the world. Some of these artists include Sting, Peter Gabriel, Hans Zimmer, Brian Eno, and David Sylvian. He also recorded music with the Kronos Quartet and the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra.
In 2010, Djivan Gasparyan played the duduk as part of Armenia's song "Apricot Stone" by Eva Rivas at the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo. He was the oldest person ever to perform at Eurovision, though he wasn't officially listed as a guest artist.
Djivan Gasparyan passed away on July 6, 2021. His grandson, Djivan Gasparyan Jr., shared the sad news. He said that the world had lost a legend and a person with a beautiful soul.
His Lasting Impact and Recognition
Many people recognized Djivan Gasparyan's incredible talent. Peter Gabriel, a famous musician, called Gasparyan "the great master of the instrument." He said that when Gasparyan played his duduk, he "cast a spell over all who listened."
The Armenian government also highly honored Gasparyan. On his 90th birthday, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan congratulated him. He said that people all over the world saw Gasparyan as one of the greatest musicians. He called him a "living legend" who made all Armenians proud. When Gasparyan died, President Armen Sarkissian described him as a "legendary duduk player" and a key figure in modern Armenian culture. He said Gasparyan inspired many duduk players. Prime Minister Pashinyan also called him an "exceptional Armenian intellectual" and one of the "Greats of the world art."
Karekin II, the leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, sent his condolences to Gasparyan's family. He said that for decades, Gasparyan performed beautiful Armenian music on stages everywhere. He helped people around the world learn about and appreciate Armenian culture.
Music Albums and Projects
Djivan Gasparyan created many albums and worked with other artists on their music. He also contributed to several movie soundtracks.
His Own Albums
- Duduk. Armenian folk songs (1983) / I Will Not Be Sad in This World (1989)
- Moon Shines at Night (1993)
- Ask Me No Questions (1994)
- Apricots From Eden (1996)
- Salute (1998)
- Black Rock, with Michael Brook (1998)
- Djivan Gasparyan Quartet - Nazeli (1998)
- Heavenly Duduk (1999)
- Armenian Fantasies (2000)
- Nazani (2001)
- Fuad, with Erkan Oğur (Traditional Turkish & Armenian songs) (2001)
- In My World, I Have No Pain (2002)
- Endless Vision: Persian And Armenian Songs, with Hossein Alizadeh (2005)
- Nectar for the Bitter World (2007)
- The Soul of Armenia (2008)
- Penumbra, with Michael Brook (2008)
Working with Other Artists
Djivan Gasparyan was a guest musician on these albums:
- Dead Bees on a Cake, by David Sylvian (on the song 'Darkest Dreaming')
- Cosmopoly, by Andreas Vollenweider
- Naked Spirit, by Sainkho (1998)
- Eden Roc, by Ludovico Einaudi (1999) (on 3 songs)
- Free Fall, by Jesse Cook (2000) (on the song "Incantation")
- Blood of the Snake, by Derek Sherinian (2006) (on the song "Prelude To Battle")
- RockPaperScissors, by Michael Brook (2006) (on the song "Pasadena part two")
- Pangea with Lian Ensemble, Swapan Chaudhuri and Miroslav Tadić (2006)
- Lightpost EP by The Apex Theory featuring Djivan Gasparyan (2007)
Movie Soundtracks
Djivan Gasparyan's music was featured in these film soundtracks:
- The Crow (1994)
- The Siege (1998)
- Ronin (1998)
- Gladiator: More Music From the Motion Picture (2000)
- Syriana (2005)
- Blood Diamond (2006)
- Samsara (2011)
