(b. 9 December 1980, Moscow).

Armenian composer, born in Russia, of chamber, choral, vocal, and piano works that have been performed in Europe; he is also active as a pianist.

Mr. Avanesov studied piano at various music schools in Baku, Kapan and Yerevan as a child and studied music theory at the Alexander Spendiaryan School of Music in Yerevan from 1994–97. He studied composition with Stepan Rostomyan and piano with Elena Abajyan at the Komitas State Conservatory in Yerevan from 2000–02 and earned his doctorate in musicology there in 2005.

Among his honours is co-First Prize in the competition Benjamin Britten in Yerevan (2003, for Namu-Amida-Butsu) and co-First Prize in the competition for vocal music Ghazaros Saryan in Yerevan (2004, for Garun a – Spring).

As a pianist, he has performed his own works and other new music in Armenia and abroad, including twice at the Lucerne Summer Festival (2003–04). He he has been a member of the ensemble Laboratorium since 2005.

He is also active in other positions. He has worked as a musicologist since 1998. His writings have appeared in many journals in Armenia and he has served as co-editor of the magazine Musical Armenia since 2002. In addition, he co-founded with Aram Hovhannisyan the ensemble for contemporary music AUS in Yerevan in 2002 and has served as its co-artistic director with him since 2002.

He has taught composition at the Komitas State Conservatory since 2005.

COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Four Pieces, string quartet, 1996

Namu-Amida-Butsu, flute, piano, 2001

...dies ist ein lied für dich allein... (cellist also sings text by Stefan George; performer must be male), cello, 2003

webcrossings.ch-am, flute, oboe, bass clarinet, 2004

...leise..., clarinet, piano, 2004

CHORAL:

Et resurrexit, 12 mixed voices, 1999

Kyrie eleison, male chorus, 2000

Christe eleison, soprano, male chorus, 2001

Te decet hymnus, mixed chorus, 2001

Requiem æternam, tenor, mixed chorus, 2 flutes ad libitum, 2 oboes ad libitum, piano, timpani, 42 strings, 2002

Kyrie II, male chorus, 2002

Lungi da te cor mio (text by Luzzasco Luzzaschi), mixed chorus, 2004

Miserere, mixed chorus, 2007

VOCAL:

Cinq Haïkaï (texts by Matsuo Bashō, Rinka Ono [Armenian translations]), female voice, piano, 1996

Two Gazelles of Yeghishe Charents, female voice, flute, oboe, French horn, violin, cello, piano, 2 percussion, 1997

...and the moon is like shadow under your feet... (text by Vardan Areveltsi), female voice, piano, 1998 (also version for female voice, 1998)

Les douze couleurs d'Alleluja, alto, 2002

...i have tried to write paradise... (text by Ezra Pound), mezzo-soprano/countertenor, string quartet, 2003

Garun a (text from a folksong from Armenia), mezzo-soprano, piano, 2003

Wieder (text by Rose Ausländer), male voice, piano, 2005

Im Luys – My Light (text from a folk source from Armenia), soprano, violin, 2005

A Handful of Fire (text from a folksong from Armenia), soprano, piano, 2006

...zij lijkt op een vreemde bloem... (text by Krikor Momdjian; pianist also sings and must be male), mezzo-soprano, cello, piano, 2007

PIANO:

Three Preludes, 1996

Ave Sancta, 1997

In memoriam T. Takemitsu, 1998

Et in sæcula sæculorum, 2 pianos, 1999

Un peu de musique pour S., 2000

Illa, 1999–2001

Deux Énigmes, 2002

Malinconia in fis, 2005

No lloro, 2005

Feux follets (cycle), 2007–

HARPSICHORD:

Fenstern zu G-dur, 2002

Musique triste, 2002

FILM SCORE (DIRECTOR):

Words, Words, Words, 2005 (Raffie Davidian)