Music by an Armenian @ LebaneseBooks.com

Mr. Setrakian is a well known Lebanese and now International composer and pianist with a repertoire of over 400 compositions to his credit. His new double CD, released in 2003, is yet another example of his mastery of the instrument and his ability to blend his own knowledge and experience into well known pieces such as the Beethoven Sonatas and Khachaturian's Sabre Dance.

Born in 1938, Mr. Setrakian has been reared by acclaimed music theory and piano professors in various locations in the Middle East. He has been the student of Professors Ernest Chouha in Aleppo, Syria, Professors T. Succar, Mrs. Turkiyeh, and Michel Tcheskinov at the National Conservatoire of Lebanon, and has studied composition with Professor Gunther Kohl in Jerusalem. By special invitation, he has further attended specialization at Komitas, the Conservatoire of Yerevan, Armenia, where he trained with known Armenian musicians such as Etvart Mirzoyan (Composition), Etvart Baghdasarian (Harmony), Krikor Hakhinian (Polyphony), Kevork Armenian (Orchestration), Elenora Atamian (Piano), and Aved Derderian (Opera Composition).

Mr. Setrakian held numerous positions in his field in both Syria and Lebanon. Among his many teaching positions, he has also assumed the Directorship of the P. Ganatchian Music College in Beirut. In 1994, he was awarded the Catholicosate Karekine II, the Medal of Honor of St. Mesrob Machdotz. Since 1999, Mr. Setrakian has been devoting his time solely to performances and compositions.