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People  •  Music  •  Associate Professor Emeritus

Leon C. Janikian

Departments

Music

Education

  • M.Mus., Music Theory and Composition, University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • BA, Music Composition, Mary Hopkins College
  • Music / Clarinet Performance, New England Conservatory of Music

 

Professor Leon Janikian has been an academician, professional musician, and recording engineer for over 30 years. He began his musical education at the Longy School of Music, followed by undergraduate studies at the New England Conservatory of Music. At both institutions he studied clarinet with Felix Viscuglia of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 1975, Janikian earned his Master of Music in Music Theory and Composition from the University of Massachusetts/ Amherst. He was privileged to be a student of the eminent composer and musical theorist Dr. Philip Bezanson. During his graduate years, Professor Janikian initiated his deep involvement with the art of musical recording and technology. His work during these years include recordings of the former Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Duke Ellington, Archie Shepp, Max Roach, and many others broadcast over National Public Radio.

In 1976 he founded Sound Techniques Recording Studios. The studio was his major project for the next 13 years. During the Sound Techniques years Prof. Janikian was the primary engineer/ producer for over 150 records in all musical genres, and numerous multimedia productions and commercials. He is the recipient of a number of awards for his productions.

In 1984, while still the owner/ chief engineer at Sound Techniques, he was invited to join the faculty of the Sound Recording Technology program at the University of Massachusetts/ Lowell.

In 1995, Professor Janikian was appointed an Assistant Professor of Music at Northeastern University. He continues to be very active in the recording field and is one the most sought after musicians specializing in the traditional music of Armenia, Greece, and the Middle East in the United States. Professor Janikian has been deeply involved with the creation of the Archive of Armenian Music in America ( armenianmusicarch.com), a major research and technical project, designed to store and restore for posterity the aural history and traditions of the Armenian community in the United States.