Barsegh Kanachyan

Who was Barsegh Kanachyan?

Barsegh Kanachyan was a Lebanese-Armenian composer and conductor. He most notably composed the music to "Mer Hayrenik", the Armenian national anthem. He also made the arrangement of a famous traditional Armenian lullaby "Oror Im Palas". He is founder and director/conductor of "Gnar" wind orchestra and the "Gusan" choirs in Istanbul and the similarly named "Gusan" choir in Beirut. He was awarded with the National Order of the Cedar, a high Lebanese presidential award for promoting friendship between the Armenian and Lebanese peoples.