Narine Khachatryan

Born in 1979 in Yerevan, this young Armenian woman won several prizes in the Aram Khachaturian Competition and in 1997 in the composition competition held by the Armenian Composers’ Association. From 1996-2001, she studied at the state Komitas Conservatory in Yerevan with Professor Edward Mirsojan. In 1999, she attended master classes with Thomas Buchholz and received the Handel sponsorship prize from the city of Halle. In 2003, Narine Khachatryan came to Munich on a DAAD grant, and continued her post-graduate studies at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts. In 2004, she received the sponsorship prize in the Günter Bialas Composition Competition and in 2007, she was commissioned to write a piece of chamber music by the Munich city authorities. The piece “Getrennt-zusammen” (“apart-together”) was premiered in 2005 at the Hallesche Musiktage festival by the Ensemble Sortisatio. She composed the string quartet “…der Geist ruft…” (“the spirit calls”) for the Kasseler Musiktage festival in 2009, a piece that was premiered there on 3 November 2009 by the Cuarteto Quiroga. Narine Khachatryan published her first composition in 1999, titled “Visions for Chamber Ensemble”. In 2001 came “...ut crucifixus” for large symphony orchestra and the string quartet No. 1, in 2006 the requiem for eight-voice choir and chamber orchestra and in 2009 the string quartet No. 2 “…der Geist ruft…”. The composer, who is currently living in Munich, has written numerous other pieces of chamber music.