Georges Garvarentz

Georges Garvarentz Ժորժ Տիրան Կառվարենց
Georges Garvarentz (with Charles Aznavour on the left)
Background information
Also known as	George Diran Wem
Born	1 April 1932 Athens, Greece
Origin	Paris, France
Died	Paris, France
Genres	Pop, chanson, film score
Occupation(s)	Composer
Years active	1950–1993
Labels	EMI
Website	fan.aznavour.free.fr/hommageGG.htm

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.

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.

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), 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 (Tales of Paris, 1962), Le Diable et les Dix Commandements (The Devil and the Ten Commandments, 1962), Le Rat d'Amérique (Rat Trap, 1963), That Man in Istanbul (1965), Triple Cross (1966), The Peking Medallion (1967), Caroline chérie (Dear Caroline, 1968), They Came to Rob Las Vegas (1968), The Southern Star (1969), The Heist (1970), Sapho ou La fureur d'aimer (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), and Catorce estaciones (Fourteen Stations, 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

External links

• "Pour toi Arménie" (French)
• Georges Garvarentz at the Internet Movie Database
• Georges Garvarentz at Encyclopédisque (French)