Djivan Gasparyan

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Djivan Gasparyan (Armenian: Ջիվան Գասպարյան b. 1928, Solag, Armenia) is an Armenian musician and composer. He plays the duduk, an Armenian woodwind instrument related to the orchestral oboe.

He has won four world-wide gold Medal UNESCO competitions (1959, 1962, 1973, and 1980). He has the unique distinction of being the only musician to be given the honorary title of People's Artist of Armenia in 1973. A professor at the Yerevan Conservatory, he has instructed and nurtured many performers to professional levels of performance in duduk.

In 2002, he received the WOMEX (World Music Expo) lifetime achievement award.

He has toured the world several times with a small ensemble playing Armenian folk music.

He has collaborated with many artists, such as Hossein Alizadeh, Sting, Erkan Ogur, Michael Brook, Peter Gabriel, Brian May, Lionel Richie, Derek Sherinian, Ludovico Einaudi and Hans Zimmer.

Armenian legendary maestro Djivan Gasparyan and Hossein Alizadeh were jointly nominated for 2007 Grammy award for their masterpiece, Endless Vision. Djivan Gasparyan is also highly respected in Iran for his contribution to Iranian and Armenian music.

[edit] Discography

I Will Not Be Sad in This World (All Saints, 1989)
Moon Shines at Night (All Saints)
Ask me no questions (Traditional Crossroads 4268, 1996)
Apricots from Eden (Traditional Crossroads 4276, 1996)
The Crow, soundtrack
Black Rock, with Michael Brook (Realworld 46230, 1998)
jivan Gasparyan Quartet (Libra Music 1998)
The Siege, soundtrack (1998)
Heavenly Duduk (Network 1999)
COSMOPOLY as guest of Andreas Vollenweider (EDEL records, SLG records (USA/Canada)
Armenian Fantasies (Network 34801, 2000)
Gladiator: More Music From the Motion Picture, soundtrack
Fuad, with Erkan Ogur (Traditional Turkish & Armenian songs) (2001)
Blood of the Snake, Derek Sherinian (2006) (Gaspayran appears on the track "Prelude To Battle")
RockPaperScissors, Michael Brook (EQR 0006, 2006)(Gaspayran appears on track "Pasadena part two")