Arno Barkhudarian
Conductor
Arno Barkhudarian was born in 1976 in Moscow. He studied at the Yerevan State Komitas Conservatoire (piano class of Rosa Tandilian). In 2003 he completed a postgraduate study at the conservatoire.
In 1997 he began to appear with the Khazer chorus and to take lessons in conducting from the chorus’ director Karo Chalikian. He has also worked with musicians including Mkrtych Mkrtchian, Grigor Arakelian, Tigran Ekekian, Loris Tjeknavorian, Ogan Durian, Oganes Chekidjian and Jansug Kakhidze.
Since 1999 he has worked at the State Academic Choral Cappella of Armenia.
From 2005–2015 he was the director of the chorus of the Church of St Mesrop Mashtots in Oshakan (Armenia). In 2010 he founded the Art Vocal Ensemble.
Nvard Ketchedjian
Mezzo-soprano
Nvard Ketchedjian was born in 1985 in Gyumri (Armenia). From 2000–2006 she trained at the languages faculty of the Yerevan State University. In 2012 she graduated from the department of classical singing of the Yerevan State Komitas Conservatoire. Since 2009 she has sung at the Surb Khach (Holy Cross) Church of the Ararat Patriarchal Diocese. In 2010 she was to become a founding member of the Art Vocal Ensemble. Frequently performs with the ensemble.
The Art Vocal Ensemble was established in 2010 on the initiative of conductor Arno Barkhudaryan. Its repertoire includes Armenian religious and folk songs, Russian folklore, classics and jazz. The ensemble tours throughout Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia and Russia. It has given concerts at the Brucknerhaus in Linz and the Musikverein in Vienna.
Prize-winner at the Renaissance International Competition and Festival (2013) and the Choral Assemblies in the Cathedral international festival (the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in Moscow, 2013). The ensemble has performed at the festivals Bridges of Culture (2013), Musical Assemblies in Tsaritsyno (2013), Universal Sound (marking one hundred and forty-five years since the birth of Komitas, 2014) and Bringing Friends Together (2014), as well as at the Easter Choral Cathedral (2015). In 2014 and 2015 he took part in memorial evenings commemorating one century since the Armenian genocide which were held in Rostov-on-Don and Moscow (Hall of Columns of the House of Unions).
