GEORGY GARANYAN DIES AT 76
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.01.2010 15:14 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Prominent jazzman, People’s Artist of Russia Georgy
Garanyan died in Krasnodar at the age of 76 on Monday morning, Nelli
Zakirova, the widow of the celebrated jazzman, told Itar-Tass.
Maestro Vladimir Spivakov, Artistic director of the world famous
Virtuozy Moskvy orchestra, said it was a great honour to him that
Georgy Garanyan had recently worked a great deal with his orchestra
and enjoyed it, Spivakov told Itar-Tass by telephone Monday. "There
was a spirit of mutual deep respect between Maestro Garanyan and the
orchestra’s musicians, and we were deeply attached to him as a person,"
Vladimir Spivakov said.
"Georgy Garanyan’s death is great loss both to the world of music
and people because he was a handsome, clever, good-natured person who
attracted people," Spivakov said. "I am confident that Georgy Garanyan
will always live in memories of all those who knew him and listened to
his music as a person of great heart and tremendous musical talent,"
Spivakov said.
Georgy Garanyan was a People’s Artist of Russia, a laureate of state
awards of the Russian Federation, a laureate of international jazz
festivals, he was Chief conductor of Oleg Lundstrem Jazz Orchestra.
Garanyan represented the first post-war generation of masters of
Russian jazz. In 1958 Garanyan’s saxophone first sounded in Oleg
Lundstrem’s orchestra and later, in 1966 in a concert jazz orchestra
of Soviet radio.
In the mid-1960s modern jazz compositions made Garanyan popular. In
1973 he was invited to work for the Melody music recording company,
which was an important landmark in his career. Garanyan founded a
modern jazz ensemble named after the Melody giant. It was a star pop
group remembered in all corners of Russia to the present day. The
famous jazz band accompanied singers, recorded dance music and jazz
compositions.
In 1991 Garanyan’s dream came true. He founded the Moscow Big Band
in which the most talented professional jazzmen performed. Experts
and general public praised the Big Band for its unique sound and
excellent music arrangements made by its founder and artistic director.