In Search of Harmony

Written for AGBU Impact Magazine 2025 by Laura L. Constantine . Illustration by Willa Gebbie.

For Ohanessian, the forces of history could not compete with her destiny to become Iraq’s first classical concert pianist and first female composer, transcending cultural and political barriers through the power of music.

She belonged to her native country of Iraq, leaving a legacy as a national treasure. She also belonged to the world, lighting up Western concert halls as a classical music sensation. Throughout her inspired life, Beatrice Ohanessian persevered to nurture understanding between these very different cultures through her genius as a pianist, educator, and composer.

A musical prodigy who began performing professionally on Baghdad radio at age 12, she lived a melodious life, punctuated by open doors, sold-out performances, standing ovations, and rave reviews. While her career blossomed through the sheer weight of her talent, deep chords of war, sacrifice and uncertainty underscored the turbulent times in which she lived.

For Ohanessian, the forces of history could not compete with her destiny to become Iraq’s first classical concert pianist and first female composer, transcending cultural and political barriers through the power of music. She was her nation’s gift to Europe, America, and the Armenian world, each laying claim to her success in one way or another. Until her passing in 2008 at age 81, Ohanessian remained true to herself—a passionate performer and composer, a proud ethnic Armenian, a patriotic Iraqi citizen and global cultural ambassador, as well as mentor and educator for music students from East to West.

Her story began in 1927 in the Armenian neighborhoods of Baghdad where the community of Genocide survivors shaped her values of endurance and overcoming. Her Persian Armenian father quickly recognized his daughter’s extraordinary musical gift. In a 1999 interview with AGBU Magazine, Ohanessian confided, “I’ve been fortunate to have a beautiful family who supports me—that includes my parents who never complained all those years when I was practicing eight hours a day, and my siblings who have not only encouraged me, but also accompanied me in performances—Arsham at the violin and Sita with piano.” With that family foundation to keep her secure and grounded, Ohanessian’s path to life in the public eye unfolded.

In the late 1940’s, she won a government scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London under the wing of acclaimed pianist Max Pirani. Several years later, a Fulbright scholarship took her to Juilliard in New York, which led to her debut performance at Carnegie Recital Hall. It was a rare distinction that few other pianists from the Middle East or Armenian women of her generation could boast. Interestingly, she never considered her great success a ticket to stay in the West.

In fact, she returned to her native land against the advice of newfound colleagues in America. She once mentioned that an “inner voice” told her she should return to Baghdad to teach her fellow countrymen how to appreciate European classical music. In 1961, she became head of the piano department at Iraq’s Institute of Fine Arts and the principal pianist of its National Symphony Orchestra. She held these positions for over 30 years, when Middle Eastern women rarely led in the arts.

From 1969-1972, Ohanessian divided her time between Iraq and the U.S. with recurring teaching opportunities at the University of Minnesota and Macalester College. This continued through the eight-year war between Iraq and Iran. During the conflict, the frequent blackouts did not prevent her from composing music. Working by candlelight, she created “Song to the Hero: variations on a folk theme.” She gave these 13 piano variations on an Armenian folk tune to the then-conductor of the Iraqi National Symphony for him to orchestrate. When honored by the Iraqi state for her contribution, her only request was for a better piano. The government obliged, gifting her a Steinway Grand.

As a self-styled cultural ambassador at large, Ohanessian collaborated with foreign embassies on concerts for the Iraqi people and vice versa, when she performed abroad for Western audiences. Either way, she included European, American and even Armenian works in her repertoire, impressing foreign and host countries with her efforts to include their musical traditions. On occasion, she might add a piece by a lesser-known composer from that country.

After a concert tour that took her to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia, in 1990, Ohanessian left for Iraq to visit family. The day she returned, Desert Storm began between the U.S. and Iraq, due to then-Iraqi president Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. Despite this, Ohanessian continued to perform inside and outside of Iraq. She also performed at the annual Babylon International Festival of Music, Dance, and Opera for five years in a row with 75 countries participating.

After years of juggling her career in Baghdad with international teaching, Ohanessian eventually resettled in Minneapolis-St. Paul. There she continued to compose new works and served as an organist at the St. Sahag Armenian Apostolic Church in St. Paul. Even in her adopted home, the sounds of Baghdad and Armenia infused her music. Her compositions, Fantasy on an Iraqi Theme, Variations on an Armenian Folk Tune, and Spring Ballade, showcased her talent for expressing her multiple identities in perfect harmony.

Shortly before Beatrice Ohanessian passed away, her Steinway Grand was transported from Baghdad to Minnesota along with several of her favorite evening gowns. It conjures a picture of a brilliant talent who used her musical gift to the fullest—in service to her country and as a cultural bridge builder across the world.

In 2024, the Beatrice Ohanessian Memorial Endowment was established by her estate in support of the general purpose AGBU Opportunity Fund.