AMASIA ARAKELIAN
November 1930 – October 2022
Amasia Arakelian was born in Tabriz, Iran on November 12, 1930, to Siranush and Goukas Arakelian. He was the eldest of their two sons. Goukas was a highly respected personality in Tabriz at that time and enjoyed serving as benefactor to the Armenian church and school in Tabriz.
Amas loved to play the violin and began his musical studies at an early age under the tutelage of the well-known Levon Gregorian. He excelled in his musical abilities and was fortunate to be able to move to Tehran to attend the Tehran Conservatory of Music in 1948. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1952.
Wishing to continue his violin studies, Amas was accepted to the esteemed New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, graduating in 1957 with his second bachelor’s degree in performance and composition. He became involved in musical circles and was a member of the New England Conservatory Orchestra, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra in Massachusetts, and the Brockton Orchestral Society.
While at the New England Conservatory, he met a fellow Armenian violinist, Angela Ekmekjian. They were married in 1956. Just at the time that the family decided to move to Los Angeles, Amas and Angela’s first child, Lili, was born.
In Los Angeles, they hoped to have more opportunities in music, considering that at the time, movie studios had many orchestras for their productions.
Their family grew as their daughter, Gayane, was born and, a year later, their son, Norik.
Amas was a master violinist and he particularly excelled in Russian-Hungarian Gypsy music. In Los Angeles, he made several recordings of this genre with cimbalom artist, Bundy Varga.
He was a member of the Sevan Band in the seventies with Karpo Dilanian, Tigran Hairapetian, Ed Hosharian, and Jora Hakverdian. Later, he joined the Hye Tones Band, and they enjoyed long popularity in Los Angeles as an Armenian continental orchestra. The members were Amas, Sarkis Mouradian, Nubar, Koko Dermendjian, and Edik Bulujian. Amas and the members of this band graced many stages at weddings and other public functions.
In addition to being a professional violinist, Amas attended college in the evenings and obtained a diploma in automotive technology. He was very aware of the importance of being well-informed not only about his chosen profession of music, but also his hobbies.
Necessity dictated Amas’ future in business. Having a wife and three young children, he put his business sense into motion and launched a food catering business. He developed a keen sense of building catering routes and selling them to others who wanted to enter the business. He continued this process for several years which gave the Arakelian family a comfortable life and private school and university educations.
One attribute that his family will remember him by is that he was a fierce competitor in business and one who placed a great deal of energy into all his endeavors. He was a lifelong member of the NRA, and an avid gun enthusiast and collector, sharing and teaching that hobby to his children.
He was a proud father and grandfather and expressed his pride at all appropriate occasions. He encouraged all his children to succeed in their chosen fields. Amas and his brother Varoujan kept very close contact with each other throughout the decades of being separated. Varoujan called every day during the months of illness to check on his brother. His brother’s family who resides in Boston, is very close to Amas’ family in Los Angeles. These strong family ties brought the family closer during the last difficult days.
In his late eighties, Amas’ health began to decline. After multiple surgeries and treatments, he was unable to recover and passed away at 91 years old on October 23, 2022, forever leaving his family and his brother’s family. His loving and devoted wife and children were by his side providing care, comfort and love all along the way.
Amas’ immediate family celebrates a life of privilege, one who was able to pursue his dreams abroad, start a family, a business, enjoy hobbies and a long and productive life. But most importantly, he witnessed his family grow to three generations. Countless people’s lives have been enhanced because of Amas’ music, which he shared with great enthusiasm.
