Georges Garvarentz

Georges Diran Garvarentz (Armenian: Ժորժ Տիրան Կառվարենց, 1 April 1932 - 19 March 1993) was an Armenian-French composer, noted for his music for films and Charles Aznavour's songs.

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Biography

Georges Garvarents was born in Athens, Greece, to a family of Armenian immigrants. His father, literature professor and poet Kevork Garvarentz, was the author of the Armenian military anthem.

In 1942 Garvarentz's family moved to Paris, France, where Georges attended Conservatoire de Paris.

Career

In 1956 Georges met Charles Aznavour and started writing music for his songs. Together they wrote over 100 songs, including "Prends garde à toi" (1956), "Et pourtant" (1962), "Il faut saisir sa chance" (1962), "Retiens la nuit" (1962), "La plus belle pour aller danser" (1964), "Hier encore" (1964), "Paris au mois d'août" ("Paris in August", 1966), "Une vie d'amour" (1980).

In 1965 Georges married Charles Aznavour's sister, Aida Aznavourian.

Georges Garvarentz also composed over 150 film scores, including scores for Un taxi pour Tobrouk (1960), Les Parisiennes (1962), The Devil and the Ten Commandments (1962), Le Rat d'Amérique (1963), That Man in Istanbul (1965), The Sultans (1966), Surcouf, le tigre des sept mers (1966), Triple Cross (1966), The Peking Medallion (1967), Caroline chérie (1968), They Came to Rob Las Vegas (1968), The Southern Star (1969), The Heist (1970), Love Me Strangely (1971), Someone Behind the Door (1971), The Pebbles of Etratat (1972), Murder in a Blue World (1973), Killer Force (1976), Teheran 43 (1981), Hambone and Hillie (1983), The Triumphs of a Man Called Horse (1983), Too Scared to Scream (1985), Yiddish Connection (1986), A Star for Two (1991), and Catorce estaciones (1991)

In 1979 he wrote the score to The Golden Lady, and co-wrote the title song for The Three Degrees, together with lead singer Sheila Ferguson.

Garvarentz is the author of a musical comedy Deux anges sont venus and an operetta Douchka.

Awards and recognition

• In 1964 Garvarentz was awarded a special prize by the Chansonnier society
• In 1989 Garvarentz has received a Gemini award for the Best Original Music Score - Program or Miniseries