Komitas, Vartabed
(1869–1935)
Komitas [Kuhmeetáss] (Gomidas; family name: Sogomonyan, Sogomon Gevorgovich), Vartabed (9–26/10–8–1869, Kyotaya, Turkey; 10–22–1935, Paris). Armenian comp., ethnomusicologist, singer, choral cond., and pedagogue. Orphaned at the age of 11, he later adopted the name Komitas in honor of the seventh-century Armenian hymn composer. Grad. 1893 from the Theological Seminary in Vagharshapat (Echmiadzin), then became a pupil of Yekmalyan in Tbilisi (1895). Also studied choral cond. and comp. in Berlin…