Roupen Altiparmakian was born in Adana, Western Anatolia. When he was a child his family moved to Athens, Greece, where his father bought him a violin when he was eight years old. His formal study of music at the Conservatory of Athens was interrupted by World War II, but the young Roupen escaped to the mountain villages of Greece, where he earnt a living by playing the violin. His fame spread, and he began to play with many well-known Greek musicians and even appeared in a number of films with his violin. In 1962, he moved to New York, where his career really took off. He performed with many of the great Armenian, Greek and Turkish singers of the day, and recorded his first album Armenian Love Songs in 1965.
You can find out more about Roupen Altiparmakian and purchase his CDs on the website dedicated to his life and work.