Aristakes Şalcıyan (Aris Hovannesyan)

(1812-1878)

Armenian composer. He was born in Langa, Istanbul, as a son of Hovannes who was a dry cleaner. After he finished Bezciyan Armenian primary school, he learned music from his father. He became a general singer (başmugannî) at the Virgin Mary Church after his father died. He improved the Hamparsum notation adding “Dzunk”, “Dzıngner”, “Gısatav” and “Karatav”. Şalcıyan trained many singers and sang with a chorus before the Sultan Abdulmecid (1839-1861), receiving a medal. He published a monthly music magazine titled Kınar Arevelyan (Doğu Santûru). After he died, he was buried at the Balıklı Armenian cemetery with a big funeral, in which Patriarch Nerses Varjabetyan participated. Among his students were Kapriel Eranyan, Harutyun (Artin) Erganyan, Hampartzum Cerçyan, râhib Kapriel Hancıyan, hânende Astik Hamamcıyan, Vırtanes Hisarlıyan.