Merited Armenian artist Vigen Stepanyan dies aged 68

Actor and stage director Vigen Stepanyan has died from brain stroke at the age of 68.

Born on October 8, 1952 in Yerevan, the merited artist of the Republic of Armenia received his initial professional training at the Stanislavsky Russian Theatre, which operated a studio for young actors. After completing his studies, he was invited to work at the same theatre. From 1977 until 1989, Stepanyan played at the Gabriel Sundukyan National Academic Theatre. In the period between 1988 and 1992, he studied at Yerevan Theatrical Institute (currently Institute of Theatre and Cinema), specializing in stage direction.

In 1989, Stepanyan founded his own theatre studio, Ardaganq (Echo), which later laid the foundations of Metro Theatre (1991). Stepanyan worked there as a general director and artistic director until 1994.  The next several years of his professional career continued in Lebanon. Back to Armenia in 2003, the artist returned to his work at his home theatre. From 2007 onwards, Sepanyan worked for different theatres in Yerevan. He combined his work of an actor and stage director with academic career, instructing a specialized course at the Yerevan State Teachers Training University. With over 100 roles in different theatres, Stepanyan also acted in foreign language performances in different countries abroad. He gained popularity also thanks to TV shows and prominent roles in different movies (Childbirth, 1976, Star of Hope, 1978, A Blue Lion, 1979. The Last Sunday, 1985, Captain Arakel, 1985, Breath, 1988, The Voice in the Wilderness, 1990, The Last Stop, 2005, The Mountainers, 2013, etc.). Stepanyan was the author over 10 plays which he turned into stage performances. He was the screenwriter of two short-length and one full-leth movie. In 2014, the artist was appointed the director of the Alexander Spendarian National Opera and Ballet Theatre. 

A recipient of numerous awards, acknowledgements and orders, Stepanyan was honored as a merited artist in 2008. He was also named The Best Actor by the Union of the Theatrical Figures of Armenia (which honored him with the national theatrical award Artavazd in 2015 and a gold medal - in 2017).