Rouben Ter-Arutunian

The set and costume designer Rouben Ter-Arutunian was one of the most versatile designers of ballet productions in the 20th century. Born in Tiflis, Armenia, in 1920, he studied in Berlin, Vienna and Paris before emigrating to the USA in 1951. He worked with figures from the classical-academic ballet world, such as George Balanchine, as well as modern dance artists in the tradition of Hanya Holm and Martha Graham. For Balanchine alone, he designed the sets for around ten ballets between 1958 and Balanchine’s death, including “The Seven Deadly Sins” (1958), “Ballet Imperial” (1964), “The Nutcracker” (1964), “Harlequinade” (1965), “Coppélia” (1974) and “Davidsbündlertänze” (1980).
His collaboration with Glen Tetley began in 1962 with “Pierrot Lunaire”. Other ballets by Tetley for which Ter-Arutunian designed the sets included, alongside “Voluntaries”, “Ricercare” (1966), “Sargasso” (1964), “Field Mass” (1965), “Chronochromie” (1971) and “Laborintus” (1972). Numerous works for other choreographers, as well as for opera, television, theatre and Broadway musicals, complete the oeuvre of this multi-award-winning set and costume designer.
As early as 1957, he was honoured with the “Circle Awards”. In 1959, he received the coveted Tony Award, followed by further nominations for Best Set Design in 1961 and 1975. Rouben Ter-Arutunian died in New York City in 1992.