Birth of Hovhannes Badalian (December 15, 1924)

December 15 marks the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Hovhannes Badalian, one of the most recognizable and popular Armenian folk singers in the second half of the past century.  

Badalian was born on December 15, 1924, in the village of Shavarin, near Hamadan (Iran). His parents were from the Armenian village of Gardabad near Urmia and had become refugees when the Ottoman army invaded northwestern Iran during World War I. 

He attended the Armenian school in Baghdad, and in 1936 he returned to Iran, and started singing in composer Nicol Galanderian’s choir in Tehran. In the Iranian capital, he studied and performed with Hambardzum Grigorian. During the repatriation of post-World War II, Badalian left Iran and settled in Soviet Armenia to study music. He attended the Romanos Melikian Music College in Yerevan. In 1949 he joined the Tatoul Altunian Folk Dance and Song Ensemble (1949-1954) as soloist and in 1954 he went to the Folk Music Instruments Ensemble of the Public Radio, where he would perform as a soloist until the end of his life. He also taught at Gomidas State Conservatory (1982-2001).

Badalian received the title of Honored Artist of Armenia in 1957 and of People’s Artist of Armenia in 1961. He performed extensively across the Soviet Union and the Middle East, as well as in Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States, displaying a contagious enthusiasm wherever he walked on the stage and enthusing the audiences with his potent tenor voice. His Holiness Catholicos Aram I presented him with the St. Mesrob Mashdots Medal and the title of Singer of All Armenians in 2000 and a year later his achievements were recognized with the Movses Khorenatsi medal from the President of the Republic of Armenia.  He passed away on August 19, 2001.