ANAHIT TSITSIKIAN — A CENTURY OF THE ARMENIAN VIOLIN
1926–2026 | CENTENARY VINYL & MASTER-TAPE EDITION
“If an angel were to come to Earth and play the violin, the angel’s name would be Anahit.”
In 2026, the musical world marks the centenary of Anahit Tsitsikian - one of Armenia’s most distinguished violinists and a pioneering woman whose life united virtuoso performance, education and scholarship.
To honour this extraordinary artist, the Armenian Radio Archive and Triston Master Recordings are preparing a special archival release on vinyl LP and reel-to-reel tape, expected toward the end of 2026. The recordings are being selected from original material preserved within the Armenian Radio Archive, bringing Tsitsikian’s artistry back into the physical formats through which much of her musical legacy was first experienced.
Born in Leningrad in 1926, Tsitsikian began studying the violin at six. After moving to Armenia during the Second World War, she studied at the Yerevan State Conservatory and later completed postgraduate studies at the Moscow Conservatory.
Her career was remarkable in both scale and substance:
🎻 More than 1,000 recitals
🌍 Performances throughout 27 countries
🎼 Principal soloist of the Armenian Philharmonic from 1961
💿 Four vinyl records released by Melodiya
📻 Approximately 60 performances preserved in radio archives
🎓 Nearly four decades teaching at the Yerevan State Conservatory
✍️ More than 300 articles and programmes for radio and television
Armenian composers occupied a particularly important place in her repertoire. She did more than perform their music: she frequently collaborated with composers, helped edit new works and became the first interpreter of numerous compositions.
Tsitsikian was also a major musicologist. Her research into bowed instruments, Armenian performance history, ancient instruments and musical archaeology helped establish an entirely new field within Armenian musical scholarship.
Those who heard her remembered far more than technical brilliance. Poet Silva Kaputikian described a violin that seemed to breathe, tremble, sigh and rejoice. Conductor Maxim Shostakovich praised the magnificent sonority, depth and expressive scale of her playing.
That emotional force apparently remains undiminished. During the selection of the archival master tapes for this new edition, a visitor was invited to hear one of the recordings and was spontaneously moved to tears, describing the performance as profoundly emotional and beautiful.
This is why archival vinyl and master tape matter. They are not merely collectible objects. At their finest, they become vessels of memory—returning the presence, texture and humanity of an artist from another era to the listening room.
Only a small number of copies are expected to become available, reflecting the release’s archival and highly limited character. Full repertoire, mastering, vinyl-production and tape specifications are still awaited.
Anahit Tsitsikian once expressed her wish to tell the world about the music of her people—and to introduce Armenians to the music of the world. A century after her birth, that mission continues.
💬 DISCUSSION
Have you heard Anahit Tsitsikian’s historic recordings?
Which Armenian composer or violin work would you most like to see included in this centenary edition?
And for a precious archival performance, which would you choose: vinyl LP or 15 ips reel-to-reel master tape?
Share your thoughts below. 🎻🇦🇲
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