Father – Afanasy (Stepanos) Avksentievich, landowner and timber merchant. Mother – Natalya Karpovna (Dshkhuchiya Karapetovna, born as Selinova).

There were 5 children in the family. Spendiaryan was 2nd. His musical abilities were passed on to him from his mother, who often played armenian and tatar melodies. Alexander started playing the piano at the age of 4. His first piece was a short waltz, written at the age of 7.

1877 – moved to Simferopol

1882-1890 – studied at the Simferopol men’s state gymnasium, sang in the student choir

1890-1895 – on the advice of his father, he studied at the Imperial Moscow University, first at the faculty of natural sciences, then at the faculty of law. During his student years he played the violin as a concertmaster. In the student orchestra under the direction of Klenovsky, he continued to take violin lessons from Pekarsky, a violinist in the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra.

1894 – meets Al. Tsaturyan. After listening to his poem “Oh, Rose!”, Spendiaryan writes a novel of the same name. This was the composer’s first work based on a poem by an armenian writer.

1895 – moves to St. Petersburg

1895 – on the advice of violinist O. Nalbandyan, Spendiaryan meets N. Rimsky-Korsakov and presents some of his works. N. Rimsky-Korsakov agrees to become Spendiaryan’s composition theory teacher.

1897 – receives a 1st class law degree, without engaging in this profession for the rest of his life

1901 – moved to Yalta

He received a mansion as a gift from his father, the former summer residence of the Serbian Queen Natalia, which soon became the cultural center of Yalta. Concerts and art-meetings are often held here, attended by M. Gorky, A. Chekhov, Al. Glazunov, A. Arensky, F. Shalyapin, S. Rachmaninov, I. Repin. In Yalta, the composer is active in social, cultural, group, charitable and creative activities. He founded music schools, an amateur choir, organized concerts, and headed the Armenian Benevolent Society of Yalta.

1916 – after the sale of the mansion in Yalta, Spendiaryan moves with his family to Sudak to live in his country house. In the same year, having received an invitation from the Armenian Musical Society of Tiflis, the composer went to Tiflis, gave concerts and was warmly received by local Armenians. In Tiflis, the composer listened to and recorded oriental melodies, which he later used in his compositions. This is where A. Spendiaryan meets O. Tumanyan, during which the composer had the idea to write an opera. The plot of the opera is based on the poem “The Siege of the Tmouk Castle”. Returning to Sudak, he began creating the opera “Almast”. Even during the difficult years of the First World War and the Revolution, Spendiaryan carried out intensive social, charitable and cultural activities.

1924 – At the invitation of the Armenian authorities, he moves to Yerevan. Thanks to his efforts, the symphonic orchestra of the Yerevan State Conservatory was created and an orchestra class was opened. In Armenia, the composer also carried out teaching activities, passing on his rich experience to professors and students of the newly opened conservatory.

1928 – The composer was diagnosed with acute pneumonia, as a result of which Alexander Spendiaryan died on May 7 with a diagnosis of lobar pneumonia. On the recommendation of his friend, architect Al. Tamanyan, the composer’s remains were buried in the park adjacent to the People’s House (the current National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater).

Opera “Almast” in 4 acts (libretto by S. Parnok, based on the poem “The Siege of the Tmouk Castle” by O. Tumanyan)

Romances:

1888 – Your Black Eyes Fascinated Me (by P. Kozlov)

1892 – No Question For Many A Day (by V. Soloviov)

1892 – You Are the Bright Sun – The Sun of My Soul (anon.)

1894 – “Oh, Rose!” (by A. Tsaturian)

1895 – Song of the Drowned Woman (by A. Podolinsky)

1895 – I Don’t Know Why (by L. May)

1895 – The Same Night (by A. Borovikovsky)

1895 – And Profound is Their Love (Lermontov, Heine)

1898 – I Have Dreamed of your Love (by Natson) etc.

Vocal and instrumental compositions:

1907 – “Beda the Preacher” (by Y. Polonsky)

1902 – “The Fisherman and the Fairy” (by M. Gorky)

1911-1914 – “Over there, over there, to the field of honor” (based on the novel “Wounds of Armenia” by Kh. Abovyan)

1915 – 2 songs of the Crimean Tatars. “Lullaby” and “Dance” (by Al. Spendiaryan)

1915 – Concert aria “To Armenia” for voice and symphonic orchestra (by O. Oganesyan, russian translation by K. Balmont)

Vocal ensembles:

1899 – Vocal quartet “Gods Birdy” (by A. Pushkin)

1901 – Vocal quartet “Branch of Palestine” (by M. Lermontov)

Melodeclamations:

1910 – “We will rest” (lyrics by A. Chekhov)

1911 – “Edelweiss” (lyrics by M. Gorky)

Choirs:

1902 – Elegy “Unmown Field” for mixed choir, bass soloist and orchestra (by N. Nekrasov)

1907 – Cantata “In Memory of Vladimir Stasov” for choir and piano (by V. Likhachev)

1917 – Hymn-song “Hail, May Day!” for mixed choir and orchestra (by Al. Spendiaryan)

1921 – “Ukrainian Suite” (arrangements of Ukrainian folk songs for 4-voice choir and orchestra)

Orchestral music:

1896 – “Ancinet Dance” for small orchestra

1900 – Concert Overture

1903 – Suite “Crimean Sketches” (1st book)

1905 – Symphonic painting “3 Palm-trees” (by M. Lermontov)

1907 – Concert Waltz

1908 – Funeral Prelude (in memory of N. Rimsky-Korsakov)

1912 – Suite “Crimean Sketches” (2nd book)

1921 – Etude «On Hebrew Melodies»

1925 – “Erivan Etudes for Orchestra”

Chamber instrumental works:

1. a) For piano:

“Waltz” in B-flat major, “Waltz” in E-flat major, “Scherzo”, “Barcarolle”, “Haitarma”, “Minuet”, “Song, dance and Ghaytarma”

“Crimean Study”, “Fortune Teller”, “Polonaise”, “Funeral Procession”

1. b) For violin and piano:

“Waltz”, “Song”, “Romance”, “Lullaby”, “Melody”, “Canzonetta”

1. c) For v-cheli and piano:

“Romance” in G minor, “Romance” in F major, “Barcarolle”

1. d) For clarinet and piano:

“Romance”

1. e) Instrumental ensembles:

1895 – Prelude for string quartet

1897 – Scherzino for violin, viola and cello

1898 – Fugue for string quartet

1900 – Rondo for string quartet

1926 – People’s Artist of the Republic

1930 – The 1st music school in Yerevan was named after Al. Spendiaryan. In 1971, a new school building was opened on Khanjyan Street, in front of which a marble bust of Spendiaryan was installed (sculptor G. Chubaryan).

1933 – January 20 at the State Opera Theater of Armenia, named after Al. Spendiaryan.

1957 – Monument to Al. Spendiaryanu was installed on the square of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater (sculptors: A. Sargsyan, G. Chubaryan).

1963 – By decision of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the ASSR A. Kochinyan, the Al. Spendiaryan House Museum was founded and opened on November 25, 1967, which is the first music and memorial museum in Armenia.

1963 – One of the central streets of Yerevan was renamed after Al. Spendiaryan

1965 – One of the streets in Kakhovka was named after Al. Spendiaryan

1972 – One of the music schools in Yalta is named after Alexander Spendiaryan