TJEKNAVORIAN, Loris:

    Loris Tjeknavorian was born in Iran in 1937. After he had studied violin and piano at the Tehran Conservatory of Music, he studied composition at the Vienna Music Academy. Shortly after his graduation four of his piano compositions and his ballet Fantastique for tree pianos, Celeste and percussion were published by Doblinger in Vienna. From 1961 to 1963 Tjeknavorian taught music theory at the Tehran Conservatory of Music. At the same time, he was appointed director of the National Music Archives in Tehran and was in charge of collecting and researching traditional Iranian folk -music and national instruments. In 1963, back in Austria, Prof. Carl Orff granted him a scholarship, which allowed him to reside in Salzburg and to complete his opera "Rostam and Sohrab".
  In 1965, Tjeknavorian began to study conducting at the University of Michigan, From 1966 to 1967 he was appointed composer in residence at the Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, and from 1966 to 1970 head of the instrumental and Opera Departments at the Moorhead University in Minnesota. 
  In 1970, the Iranian Cultural Minister offered Tjeknavorian a "position as composer in residence" including principal conductor to the Rudaki Opera House Orchestra in Tehran. He then conducted a number of major operas including his own works, such as his Fairytale opera "Pardis and Parisa" and the Dance drama "Simorgh". He made many successful recordings and performances with leading orchestras, such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra , the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and international orchestras throughout the world in Austria, UK, USA, Canada, Hungary, Copenhagen, Iran, Finland, USSR, Armenia, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Africa, Denmark, etc. His own compositions have been performed by many major orchestras worldwide.
  In 1989, Tjeknavorian was appointed Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra (APO). 
In 2000, Tjeknavorian resigned from this position in order to be able to devote more time to composing and conducting other orchestras.

Released works (Hermes Records) : Rostam & Sohrab Opera