Komitas with his students

This historical photograph shows Komitas surrounded by his students. There are 7 men in the picture. In the centre is the bearded Komitas in a dark, high-collared garment, and around him are young men in dark suits and ties. Two are seated in front and two stand at the top.

The students learned from Komitas not only music but also national self-awareness. The image has become a symbol of Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage. It recalls a creative world that was soon to be shattered, but whose voice still sounds in Komitas’s music today.