Loris Ohannes Chobanian American composer, conductor, teacher Date of Birth: 17.04.1933 Country: USA

1. Biography of Loris Ohanes Chobanian
2. Early Life and Musical Career
3. Education and Career in the United States
4. Achievements and Contributions
5. Awards and Recognition

Biography of Loris Ohanes Chobanian

Loris Ohanes Chobanian is an American composer, conductor, and teacher with Armenian roots. He is known for his work in classical music and is currently a citizen of the United States. Chobanian was born on April 17, 1933, in Mosul, Iraq, into an Armenian family. His father, Ohannes Chobanian, was an engineer and amateur musician who played the piano, flute, and violin.

Early Life and Musical Career

Chobanian grew up surrounded by classical music and began his own musical journey at a young age. When he was five years old, his father wrote an operetta for him titled "O Loris." Father and son performed the operetta together, with Loris singing and his father conducting the orchestra, in the city of Kirkuk.

After graduating from Baghdad College, a prestigious school run by Armenian Jesuits from Boston, Chobanian joined the Komitas Choir, which specialized in Armenian folk music. He sang in the choir for ten years while also studying classical guitar and regularly performing on Baghdad television. He also worked for the Khanakqin Oil Company during this time.

Education and Career in the United States

In 1960, Chobanian moved to the United States to study composition at Louisiana State University, where he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees. He also appeared regularly on television, performing on WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and National Educational Television in Michigan.

In 1970, Chobanian received his Ph.D. in composition from Michigan State University. He also studied at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the University of Akron. He later became a professor of composition at the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory, where he helped develop guitar and composition programs. He was also a co-founder of the "Focus Contemporary Festival," a festival of contemporary music.

Achievements and Contributions

Chobanian's contributions to the field of music extend beyond his teaching career. He served as the chair of the guitar department for the American String Teachers Association and organized the association's first guitar conference in Cleveland, which brought together guitar teachers from the United States and Canada. This conference served as a model for future conferences organized by the Guitar Foundation of America.

Throughout his career, Chobanian has worked with various musical ensembles and orchestras, including the Cleveland Ballet, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, American Wind Symphony Orchestra, Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Skidmore College Orchestra, and Torronro International Guitar Festival, among others. He has also taught at Groton Central School in New York, Nebraska Wesleyan University, and the University of St. Thomas.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Chobanian is a recipient of numerous awards, including accolades from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), grants from the Ohio Arts Council and Cleveland Arts Council, and an award from the University of Loyola in New Orleans. In 1981, he received the Cleveland Arts Prize. He is also a patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity.