Born in Solak, Armenia, Djivan Gasparyan began playing the duduk at age six and became a soloist with the Yerevan Philharmonic Orchestra by 1948. In 1973 he became the first musician awarded the honorary title People’s Artist of Armenia. He reached international audiences through Peter Gabriel’s 1988 Last Temptation of Christ soundtrack and went on to collaborate with Sting, Brian Eno, the Kronos Quartet, and Hans Zimmer, with his duduk also featured in Gladiator. He died on July 6, 2021, at age 92.

Mood and energy: Plaintive, breath-led, resonant. Recommended uses: reflection, meditation.

Sacred Ground Confidence Score: 5 out of 5 stars   Final recommendation: Approved.

Why this artist belongs in Sacred Sounds: The single most internationally recognized figure in Armenian duduk music, whose decades-long career and film-soundtrack ubiquity make him the essential reference point for this tradition.