Grikor Suni

Grikor Suni Mirzaian
Grikor Suni with his chorus at Shushi in 1902
Background information
Birth nameGrikor Mirzaian
BornSeptember 10, 1876
Getabek, Elisabethpol Governorate, Russian Empire
OriginArmenian
DiedDecember 18, 1939(1939-12-18) (aged 63)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Occupation(s)Composer, Choirmaster, Musicologist

Grikor Mirzaian Suni (Armenian: Գրիգոր Միրզայեան Սիւնի; originally Grikor Mirzaian, also Grigor; September 10, 1876 – December 18, 1939) was an Armenian composer and choirmaster.

In his hometown of Shushi, Suni became famous for his musical talents and organized his first concert. This would get him in trouble with Russian authorities forcing his chorus out of Shushi where they went on to spread Armenian cultural music around the world. Suni was an instrumental figure in establishing the national identity of Armenian music and considered one of the many founders of modern Armenian music.