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George GarvarenzFrench composer of Armenian origin.
Date of Birth: 01.04.1932
Country:  France |
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Biography of Georges Garvarentz
Georges Garvarentz (Georges Diran Garvarentz, also known as Georges Diran Vem) was a French composer of Armenian descent. He was born on April 1, 1932, in Athens and passed away on March 19, 1993, in Paris.
Early Life and Education
Garvarentz was born into a family of Armenian immigrants. His father, Gevork Garvarentz, was an Armenian poet and the author of the lyrics to the Armenian military anthem. Gevork Garvarentz was also a student of the renowned composer Komitas. In 1942, Georges moved to Paris, where he studied at the Paris Conservatory.
Music Career
Garvarentz collaborated with the famous French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour, starting from 1965. He composed music for over 100 of Aznavour's songs, including "Rendezvous in Brazil" (1960), "March of the Angels" (1961), "Paris in August" (1966), "Out of Fashion Joys" (1972), "They Fell" (1975), "Eternal Love" (1980), "For You, Armenia" (1989), among others. His songs were also performed by artists such as Dalida, Mireille Mathieu, Johnny Hallyday, Gilbert Bécaud, and Sylvie Vartan. His wife, Aida Aznavour, also sang his compositions.
Garvarentz was also known as a film composer, having worked on the music for more than 150 films. Some of his notable film scores include "Taxi for Tobruk" (1960), "Parisians" (1961), "The Devil and the Ten Commandments" (1962), "The Idol's Search" (1963), "American Rat" (1963), "Thunder in the Skies" (1965), "Dear Caroline" (1968), "Someone Behind the Door" (1971), "Sappho" (1971), "Killer Force" (1976), "Tehran-43" (1981), "Yiddish Connection" (1986), and "14 Stations" (1991). He also composed the music for the musical comedy and operetta "Duška" (1963).
Awards
In 1964, Garvarentz received a special prize from the Society of Chansonniers. In 1989, he was awarded the Gemini Award for Best Musical Accompaniment in a mini-series.
