October 12 was the birthday of the world-famous duduka player, RA People’s Artist Jivan Gasparyan. This year, the famous musician would have turned 98 years old.

For 93 years, the duduk legend lived a pure and honest life, dedicated to his family, friends and work.

From a self-taught musician, he became a professional, received the highest titles and awards. The first big play was in Moscow in 1947. “I was nineteen years old. I gave a speech in the Kremlin, where Stalin was present. He gave me a “Pobeda” watch,” Master recalled in one of the interviews.

He performed in the most prestigious concert halls, with famous musicians, composers, and the most famous orchestras. His music was played in the most popular Hollywood films. On one occasion, Jivan Gasparyan said: “Everyone was amazed at what a beautiful sound the duduk has. Now I have many students in Italy, Germany, France. I have dedicated my whole life to art, I have been to almost every country in the world and I have always performed live. I played 20,000 concerts, I have more than 2,000 recordings, I participated in the shooting of 40 films.

Jivan Gasparyan’s work is continued by his grandson, Jivan Gasparyan Jr., who started playing with his grandfather at the age of fifteen and toured the world with him for twenty-seven years.

According to Jivan Gasparyan Jr., he was first of all a person, then a musician. “When the grandfather’s statue was supposed to be erected on Abovyan Street, he did not agree, saying: “How can you not put the statue of Levon Madoyan, Vache Hovsepyan, put mine? Those people have great merits, they were the founders of duduk. If something like that is done, I will feel very uncomfortable.”

Although the Master is no longer with us, his duduk melodies live on as reminders of our roots, pain, love and hope.

Glory and obeisance to the memory of the Master.