Şahan Arzruni: key obituary facts
Is Şahan Arzruni dead? Yes. Şahan Arzruni died on October 21, 2026, at age 83.
Cause of death: Şahan Arzruni's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Şahan Arzruni known for?
He was an Armenian musician.
More about Şahan Arzruni
Born: 8 June 1943.
Place of birth: Istanbul.
Place of death: New York City.
Gender: male.
Occupation: pianist, writer, composer.
Nationality: United States.
Education: Esayan Armenian School, Getronagan Armenian High School, Istanbul University State Conservatory, Juilliard School.
Awards: Khorenatsi medal.
Career began: 1964.
Also known as: Arzruni, Şahan.
Occupations: Performer, producer, writer.
Şahan Arzruni, Armenian-Turkish pianist, composer and lecturer, died October 21, 2026, aged 83.
Born in Istanbul, he was also described as an Armenian classical pianist, ethnomusicologist, writer and producer, and made New York his base. His family name, also transliterated Artsruni, belongs to an ancient Armenian noble family.
His parents were Stepan Jirayr Arzruni and Maryam Kalpak. His maternal aunt, composer Sirvart Kalpakyan Karamanuk, encouraged him to take up piano at age four; he appeared publicly at five. He studied at Esayan Armenian School and Getronagan Armenian High School before attending Istanbul University State Conservatory. In 1964, he moved to New York on a Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation scholarship to continue his musical education at Juilliard. There, he studied piano with Sascha Gorodnitzki, chamber music with Felix Galimir, piano literature with Joseph Bloch and composition with Hall Overton. He graduated from Juilliard in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science degree. His professional roles brought together performance, composition, ethnomusicology, writing, producing and lecturing. He received the Khorenatsi Medal.