Many famous artists, in this case, the musicians, by their first specialty or in the beginning of their career were famous figures in the sports world. For instances, the opera singers Luciano Pavarotti and Zurab Sotkilava were football-players, Ukrainian opera singer Nikolai Prutnik was a world champion in arm-wrestling, chess-player Mark Taymanov was a pianist, rock king Elvis Presley was a karate fighter and so on. We also have athlete – musicians in our reality. Former Rector of Yerevan State Conservatory, Sergey Sarajyan, is a great tennis champion in Armenia. Violist, also deputy director of the National Opera Theatre, Narek Antonyan, is a world bronze medalist in all-round sports and so on.
According to the information of “Aravot”, the young tuba-player, also multiple champion in Armenia’s Arm wrestling Championships, also a sport mater in international class, also an athlete master candidate in triathlon, Arman Pepanyan, (in the photo) quit with the sports and devoted himself to music. Moreover, his primary goal is to establish a brass instruments performing school in Armenia. In the conversation with us, the winner of the first Republican brass instruments opened other brackets. It turns out that before becoming tuba player, Arman Pepanyan studied at the jazz vocal department at the Academy of Music after Gnessin (1997-2002). As said by our interlocutor, Russian pop stars Angelica Varum, the girls of “Tattoo” group, Philip Kirkorov and others tool classes from his professor, Ms. Shahnazarov. Upon returning from Moscow, Arman Pepanyan could not refuse the offer of his father, Associate Professor of Yerevan State Conservatory, also concertmaster of Armenia’s State Philharmonic Orchestra, Vagharshak Pepanyan, and decided to stay true to the family traditions of music. The young musician assured that a short time, just in 6 months, in the result of hard trainings, he was admitted to the conservatory. He started the career of a tuba-player in “Ararat” brass band (headed by Petros Zhamkochyan), and later in Haik Hovakimyan’s led “Yerevan” band. During his student years, he established brass quartets and quintets with his own initiative and played in Yerevan and the marzes. As a musician, he has been many times invited to the opera and philharmonic orchestras. In 2004, in “Ararat” Band, the tuba-player participated in original brass bands festival, which was launched in Georgia, then in Russia, Poland, Germany, France, and ended in England.
In 2007, being called up for military service, he served in the Special military orchestra General Staff (leader, Colonel, RA honored artist Armen Poghosyan), who after the service returned his workplace. He won the first prize in this band in the 2008 St. Petersburg contest-festival of military orchestras. Our interlocutor said with a smile that being in the “service” band for the governmental and inter-governmental ceremonies, he has met many officials, including 70 presidents. The tuba-player considers himself a lucky person to participate in the memorial concert dedicated to Hrant Dink in 2010, in Istanbul, organized and headed by the Istanbul-Armenian conductor Nvard Andreassian. In 2012, the musician and arm-wrestler participated in Armenia’s national team at the European Championship.
Caption: Arman Pepanyan in 2012 European Arm-wrestling Championship
Referring to the dream of establishing a brass instrument performance school, Arman Pepanyan detailed, “Children are disallowed to play on tuba, horn, trombone, in other words, copper brass instruments at early age. At that age, they need to learn the musical alphabet, literature, and the brass instruments in theory. The latters’ practical lessons should start at age 12.” He also added that a separate attention is required to add the republican state collective with new brass instruments. For example, I myself am playing on already “expired” tuba of 1961.
Samvel DANIELYAN
