KHOREN MEKANEJIAN (1937-2025)
His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, Prelate, and the Religious and Lay Councils of the Eastern Prelacy have learned with great sorrow of the passing of Maestro Khoren Mekanejian, a lifelong servant of the Armenian Church and among the most significant Armenian sacred music composers and conductors of our time, which happened on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in New York.
Born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1937, Khoren Mekanejian moved to Armenia with his family at the age of eight. He began his theological and musical education at the Seminary of Holy Etchmiadzin from 1956 to 1960, studying theology, philosophy, and psychology while receiving private instruction in music theory and harmony under the tutelage of Robert Atayan, the leading expert on the music of Gomidas Vartabed.
Following seminary, he pursued advanced musical training at the Gomidas Conservatory in Yerevan, studying under Tatoul Altounian and later receiving two master’s degrees—in choral conducting (1965) and orchestral studies (1979). He served as assistant conductor of the Armenian State Academic Choir under Hovhannes Chekijian and participated in concert tours across the world.
One of Maestro Mekanejian’s crowning achievements was his three-year labor to compose the complete choral and organ setting of the Armenian Divine Liturgy. Following a year of trial at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Khorenian Badarak (Badarak is the Armenian word for “liturgy”) was formally approved in 1984 by His Holiness Vazken I, Catholicos of All Armenians, and has since been embraced by churches throughout the Armenian world.
In the early 1990s, Maestro Khoren accepted an invitation from Archbishop Khajag Barsamian to join the Eastern Diocese, where he served as Director of Music Ministry and Choir Director at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in New York.
Over the decades, he composed major liturgical and commemorative works, including a piece for the Diocese’s centennial (1998), a Christmas oratorio (2000), and a tribute to Armenia’s conversion to Christianity (2001). In 1997, His Holiness Karekin I awarded him the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Medal for his lifetime service to the Armenian Church.
Maestro Khoren’s leadership continued into the 21st century, notably conducting the 2015 Pontifical Divine Liturgy in Washington, DC, during the Armenian Genocide Centennial. In 2024, the 40th anniversary of the Khorenian Badarak was marked with a celebratory concert at St. Vartan Cathedral.
His final conducting took place during Easter Sunday services on April 20, 2025—just days before his passing. His impact is immeasurable: a life devoted to faith, to music, and to inspiring generations with the spiritual and artistic beauty of Armenian sacred tradition.
May God illuminate his soul. Աստուած հոգին լուսաւորէ։