Of Armenian origin, composer, pianist and teacher, Gerard Satamian was born and
raised in Beirut, Lebanon. Although his family could hardly support their basic
needs, his mother, noticing his early musical inclinations, arranged for him to
take private piano lessons.
At the age of 13 he entered the Beirut National Conservatory of music. At
school in Lebanon, Satamian excelled in literature and languages, and for many
years immersed himself in the French writers and poets. His early years were
filled with the musical traditions of many cultures and styles: Armenian, Arabic,
and Western, such as Romanticism and Impressionism.
In 1977, during the Civil War in Lebanon, Satamian moved to Armenian to continue
his piano studies at the Gomitas Conservatory of Music in Yerevan. There he was
exposed to the Armenian and Russian composers. He also pursued his love for
singing through vocal coaching, finding voice and most natural and expressive
instrument. He received his Masters degree in piano, in 1982, but vocal music
had found a special place in his heart.
In
1983, Satamian left Lebanon with his family for Los Angeles. Deeply affected by
the tragedies of the war in Lebanon he turned to the Scriptures for answers. For
the next 10 years he taught piano while concentrating most of his energy on his
spirituality.
Although Satamian never studied composition formerly, he always knew he had a
gift for writing melodies. Having moved to Vancouver, Canada in 1989 he further
developed his composition skills. Chansons sans Paroles (1989) written
originally for voice and piano and the Suite Lyrique (1994) are short stories
inspired by images of the past and people he knew.
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Canada, Mon Amour
![Dry Fig Trees by Gerard Satamian [Dry Fig Trees by Gerard Satamian]](http://he3.magnatune.com/music/Gerard%20Satamian/Dry%20Fig%20Trees/cover_200.jpg)
Dry Fig Trees
![Forget Me Not by Gerard Satamian [Forget Me Not by Gerard Satamian]](http://he3.magnatune.com/music/Gerard%20Satamian/Forget%20Me%20Not/cover_200.jpg)
Forget Me Not
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