Manuk Manukyan (1927-2010). The Life and Activity

Abstract

The present article is dedicated to M. Manukyan, a musicologist, folklorist, folklore collector, well known pedagogue, candidate of arts, whose activity has remained out of the attention of musicologists. Wanting to fill that gap, we started this study about famous musician's life and activity. It should be noted with regret that M. Manukyan's personal archive has not been preserved, which created a certain obstacle. Fortunately, we were able to contact the musicologist's relatives, friends, colleagues, who provided us with the information we needed. During his long and fruitful activity M. Manukyan also touched upon a number of issues of Armenian national music. With special devotion M. Manukyan studied the Armenian musical ashugh music, dedicating monographs on that topic more than 30 scientific articles. M. Manukyan worked at the Institute of Arts of NAS RA, in the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory and Kh. Abovyan Pedagogical Institute. He was engaged in folklore collecting, organizing scientific expeditions in Soviet Armenia and in different regions of Soviet Union where lived many Armenians, and recorded a total of about 2000 Armenian peasant, sacral and ashugh songs.