Composer, pianist, teacher Eduard Abramian was born in 1923 in Tbilisi. In the group of gifted children, organized at the Tbilisi Sarajishvili Conservatory, and then in the music school-decade, created on the basis of this group, he studied in the composition class of the famous composer and teacher, Honored Artist of Georgia, Honored Artist of Armenia, Professor Sergei Barkhudaryan.

 

In 1941, Abramian graduated with honors from the music school and at the same time, from the famous third music school in Tbilisi in the piano class (Lucy Yesayan’s class). Then he studied at the Tbilisi Conservatory at once — which was an exceptional phenomenon — at two departments: composition classes (under Professor S. Barkhudaryan) and piano (under the famous pianist and teacher A. Tulashvili). While still a citizen of Georgia and living in Tbilisi, E. Abramian became a member of the Union of Composers of Armenia (1951).

 

By the decision of the Armenian Government, he was sent to Moscow to improve in the studio at the house of the culture of Soviet Armenia (DKSA). Here in 1953-1954, he studied under the guidance of outstanding Soviet professors G. Litinsky, N. Peiko, and Yu. Fortunatov. An outstanding role of the DKSA Studio in the training of Armenian cultural figures of different specialties - artists, musicians, performers, composers, etc. should be noted. It is enough to say that the studio trained well-known composers: Alexander Harutyunyan, Arno Babajanian, Edward Mirzoyan, Aram Khudoyan, and others.

 

E. Abramian began his pedagogical activity at the Tbilisi music school (piano class, 1954-1960), and after moving to Yerevan in the 1960s, he taught a special piano class at the R. Melikyan music school. Also in 1961 E. Abramian received an invitation to work in Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory at the Department of General Piano. In the academic rank of Associate Professor, then Professor, he headed this Department in 1979-1986, radically raising the level of teaching and in every way contributing to the renewal of the repertoire of this important inter curricular discipline. The achievements of the most prepared students allowed in some cases to transfer them to the department of special piano of the Conservatory.

 

Immediately after moving to Yerevan, Eduard Abramian became actively involved in the work of the Union of Composers of Armenia, and in 1965 he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Armenia. The high pianistic culture of the composer was fully reflected in his work, which in general greatly enriched the Armenian piano literature. The scale, richness of sound, national certainty of the musical language are the characteristic features of his “Great Sonata” (1954) and two piano concertos (1950 and 1953). In them, the traditions of romantic pianism are implemented in a peculiar way, the kinship of which is felt both in the general emotional tone and in the features of the texture. In some cases, folk themes are used and freely developed here. Picturesqueness, color, richness of sound, interesting use of expressive means of piano distinguish the "24 Preludes" cycle (1948-1971), as well as a number of his other piano works: "Impromptu" (1957), "Dance-fantasy" (1956), "Koch" musical painting (1961), 12 pieces for 1-4 grades of children's music schools (1970), "Waltz-humoresque" (1973) and others. "Concert Scherzo" for violin and piano (1956), "Concert Scherzo" for trumpet and piano (1957), "Intermezzo" for trumpet and piano (1956), "Dance and Song" for balalaika and piano (1956) and other pieces were also widely recognized. An extensive section of the composer's creative heritage consists of his vocal works: more than 20 romances and 30 songs. Especially significant are the songs "How Good it is in the Mountains", "Longing" on the poems of A. Isahakian, "I Am a Singer", "To the Motherland" on the words of A. Grashi.