Ashot Gasparyants - Tar

Ashot Arustami Gasparyants was born on January 10, 1915, in the village of Artsvanik, Zangezur. When he was three, his family moved to Baku, where his father was tragically killed. His older brother, Tevan, took on the responsibility of raising him.

At the age of eleven, Gasparyants taught himself to play the tar. By fifteen, his talent earned him a place as a soloist in the folk instrument orchestra led by Ioannes Ioannisyan. On August 10, 1939, he performed as concertmaster of the United Orchestra of Folk Instruments at the final concert of the All-Union Ten-Day Festival of Musical Groups, held in the Columned Hall of the House of Unions in Moscow.

In 1942, he volunteered for the Great Patriotic War, serving in the 89th Armenian Taman Rifle Division. He took part in the capture of Berlin and was awarded two Orders of the Red Star, as well as the medals For Military Service, For the Liberation of the Caucasus, For the Victory over Germany, and For the Capture of Berlin. Even in wartime, he remained devoted to music, organizing and leading a folk instrument ensemble—often holding a weapon in one hand and a tar in the other.

From 1946 to 1951, Gasparyants worked as a soloist at the Tashkent Philharmonic. In 1951, he lived in Grozny before moving to Yerevan in 1957, where he worked at the Armenian Philharmonic. From 1958 to 1966, he was a soloist with the Armenian Radio and Television Folk Instrument Ensemble. In 1961, he was awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist of the Armenian SSR.

Gasparyants composed the dances “Arevelyan” and “Margarit”. He also appeared in several films, including wartime documentaries produced by “Hayfilm”, as well as The Triumphant Return of the Armenian Taman Division. In 1959, he was featured in the Yerevan film studio’s television drama Sayat-Nova, portraying a tar player accompanying ashugh Fatulla. He left behind numerous recordings showcasing his mastery of the instrument.

Ashot Gasparyants passed away on March 14, 1966, in Yerevan.