Edward Manukyan

Edward Manukyan

Edward Manukyan (Armenian: Էդվարդ Մանուկյան, Russian: Эдвард Манукян) - (b. July 27, 1981) is an Armenian-born composer residing in Southern California. A prolific composer of orchestral and chamber works, Manukyan devoted himself to composing contemporary music, leaning heavily upon elements of Armenian national folklore. Most of Manukyan’s works bespeak about inspirations of Armenian patriotic themes with titles such as Images of Armenia, Dawn In Ararat Valley, Lament For Homeland etc.

Early life

It was not until his last years at high school that Manukyan showed interests in music, although he always excelled in arts, literature and sciences. He learned English through self-teaching and in 1997 he won state scholarship to study languages and psychology at the Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Brusov. During his student years, Manukyan committed himself entirely to studying music and performing bass and piano with local groups. He soon became a regular member with the Armenian "Renaissance" Chamber Orchestra, directed by conductor Tigran Padaryan. Manukyan also wrote his own music, which was featured by the orchestra as part of its regular program. Among those were songs, the lyrics of which the composer had penned himself, and jazz instrumental pieces. Manukyan also formed his own jazz quartet and gave concerts at various venues in Yerevan.

File:Manukyan top story.jpg

Edward Manukyan on the Cover Story of Glendale News-Press, division of The Los Angeles Times. Issue of Oct. 23, 2007.

Career in United States

File:Edward Manukyan 2.jpg

A newspaper excerpt from Roundup, showing Edward Manukyan in his college years. Published in Los Angeles, Nov. 2004.

Upon moving to the United States in 2002, Manukyan made a sudden shift of his interests towards classical music after studying the works of his compatriot Aram Khachaturian. He took composition classes from Rowan Taylor and went on to further study with composers John Kennedy, James Newton and pursued his Master's Degree in Music Composition from the California State University, Los Angeles (2005-2007). He also studied instrumental and choral conducting with Stephen Piazza and David Buck. His graduation piece, the Symphony for Wind Orchestra, dedicated to the commemoration of the 15th anniversary of Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union, was performed by CSULA Wind Ensemble, conducted by Abel Ramirez on December 3, 2007. Some of Manukyan's other compositions have been performed by the Los Angeles Symphonic Winds, the Valley Brass Ensemble and by chamber groups and solo musicians from Northern America and Europe. On October 23, 2007 Manukyan appeared on the Cover Story of Glendale News-Press, with an article that sheds new light on the composer's unusual start in classical music.

Style and Influences

Edward Manukyan's compositional style was mainly influenced by the middle-generation Soviet composers, such as Aram Khachaturian, Dmitry Shostakovich and Sergey Prokofiev, as well as the Armenian successors of their traditions, Alexander Arutiunian, Edward Mirzoyan, Tigran Mansuryan etc. Later he drew influences from Bela Bartok and Igor Stravinsky, although his style remains simple and easily accessible for large audiences due to its closeness to Armenian folk music.

List of Works

Chamber

• Suite for brass quartet Nos. 1 & 2 (2005)
• Duet for violin and piano (2005)
• Invention, for flute, tuba, violin and piano (2006)
• Trio for clarinet, violin and piano (2007)
• Three solo pieces for violin (2007)
• Esquisse, for violin and piano (2007)
• Three Miniatures, for clarinet and piano (2007)
• Three Scenes From a Peasant's Life, for solo violin (2007)
• Triumph of Reason, for trumpet and piano (2007) - Dedicated to James D. Watson and Francis Crick.

Orchestral

• Concerto for piano and orchestra (2004)
• Five Pieces suite for orchestra (2005)
• Images of Armenia, suite for orchestra (also arranged for wind ensemble) (2005)
  • Dance-Introduction
  • Fanfare of Nostalgia
  • Capriccio
  • Romance
  • Patriotic March
• Poem-Symphony (2005)
• Elegia for Wind Orchestra (2006)
• Symphony for Wind Orchestra (2006)

Piano

• Caucasian Waltz (2003)
• Dance for piano duo (2003)
• Elegia (2006)
• Ten Pieces for piano (2006)

External links

• Manukyan's official website in English, Armenian, Russian and French
• An early interview with Edward Manukyan (by Cathy Colman)
• Manukyan's Myspace page