The musical collectives of the Association of the Blind of Armenia, which has a professional four-part choir and an orchestra of folk instruments, was founded in 1976. visually impaired, on the initiative of composer Simon Hovhannisyan.
Simon Hovhannisyan in 1966 He graduated from the Faculty of Creativity of the Yerevan State Conservatory and was a member of the Union of Composers of Armenia from the same year, in 1988. He was a laureate of the 1st Prize of the Prague International Culture of Composers, in 1990. He was an honored figure of art of Armenia, in 2010. Movses Khorenatsi was a medalist in 2010. He was a gold medalist of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia in 2015. He was the recipient of the Narekatsu Memorial Medal.
Simon Hovhannisyan is the author of many works (symphony, symphonet, requiem in memory of Komitas, three string quartets, sonatas for various instruments, piano parts, etc.).
Simon Hovhannisyan died in 2023 in January.
The Music Collectives founded by Simon Hovhannisyan, 60% of whose members are visually impaired musicians with higher education, are still active today.
The musical group performed concerts in various cities of Russia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and almost all regions of Armenia, receiving diplomas, certificates and letters of thanks everywhere.
The musical collective is a laureate of international competitions, has been awarded the "Gold Medal" of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia, the Union of Composers of the Republic of Armenia, as well as the certificates of honor of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia.
The repertoire of the collective is numerous and multi-content: classical, spiritual, Armenian ethnographic, Armenian folk, Russian, Western European.