Folk music

feature On this day - Apr. 17, 1885: Composer and conductor Parsegh Ganatchian was born Birthday celebrations take a poignant turn in April. On this day in 1885, Parsegh Ganatchian, the composer of Armenia’s national anthem, «Մեր հայրենիք» (“Mer hayrenik” | “Our Fatherland”) was born. He had survived the Armenian Genocide by playing the violin to Ottoman army officers!