Varozh Hakbandian (Varozhjan)
Date of birth: 1315
Place of birth: Qazvin
“Varozh Hakbandian”, nicknamed “Varozhjan”, was born into an Armenian family. He lost his mother at the age of two. After completing his elementary education, he entered the Tehran Higher Music School and studied music under teachers such as Ruben, Grigoryan, and Ludovic Wasel. After completing this course, he set out on his journey to the world with a scholarship he received from the Iranian Radio and Television of those years.
“Varozhjan” studied “music arrangement and song composition” in the United States and returned to Iran in 1964. The Radio and Television scholarship brought him the commitment to serve in one of the southern cities. After completing his commitment, he returned to the capital. In the early 1950s, the taste of contemporary Iranian music gradually turned towards pop music, and Varojan became the unrivaled king of this type of music. He had a prolific record in this field, both by composing melodies and arranging the works of others.
In 1968, he wrote music for the first time for the film “White Hell” directed by “Samuel Khachikian”.
His interest in this field (film music) led him to continue this work professionally. Following these experiences, he created the soundtrack for the film “Hasan Kachhel” directed by “Ali Hatami” (1971), which is known as the first musical film in Iranian cinema, along with Babak Afshar, Parviz Atabaki and Esfandiar Monfaredzadeh. In this film, Ohdieh, Kouros Sarhangzadeh, Mahtab, Soosan and Afshin sang.
For the first time, “Varojan” composed and arranged a melody for the song “Badrood” by Iraj Jannati Ataei and the voice of Wigan.