Armenian composer and pianist of the Soviet era. He showed strong musical talent from a young age and entered the Yerevan State Musical Conservatory at age 7 on the urging of composer Aram Khachaturian. He then studied abroad but returned to Yerevan to teach at the Conservatory from 1950-6. During this time he wrote the Piano Trio in F# Minor, which found immediate acclaim and launched his concert touring career throughout the Soviet Union and Europe. In 1971, he was named a People's Artist of the Soviet Union. Babajanian's music is rooted in Armenian folk music and folklore yet with a trained style. He received the Stalin Prize of 1950 for his Heroic Ballade for piano with orchestra and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. Babajanian was named a People's Artist of the Armenian SSR (1956) and of the Soviet Union (1971). He was a laureate of two Stalin State Prizes of the USSR (1951, 1953) and two Armenian SSR State Prizes (1967, 1983). In his memory there is a concert hall named for him and a prominent statue in Yerevan, Armenia.

Armenian composer and pianist of the Soviet era. He showed strong musical talent from a young age and entered the Yerevan State Musical Conservatory at age 7 on the urging of composer Aram Khachaturian. He then studied abroad but returned to Yerevan to teach at the Conservatory from 1950-6. During this time he wrote the Piano Trio in F# Minor, which found immediate acclaim and launched his concert touring career throughout the Soviet Union and Europe. In 1971, he was named a People's Artist of the Soviet Union. Babajanian's music is rooted in Armenian folk music and folklore yet with a trained style. He received the Stalin Prize of 1950 for his Heroic Ballade for piano with orchestra and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. Babajanian was named a People's Artist of the Armenian SSR (1956) and of the Soviet Union (1971). He was a laureate of two Stalin State Prizes of the USSR (1951, 1953) and two Armenian SSR State Prizes (1967, 1983). In his memory there is a concert hall named for him and a prominent statue in Yerevan, Armenia.