Born in Yerevan (Armenia). In 1994 graduated from the Yerevan State Conservatory. 1997 — A one-year course with Prof. Mousin at Saint Petersburg Conservatory. 1995 — Associate Conductor of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra and used to be the Resident Conductor of the Yerevan Symphony Orchestra. 1996 — Music Director of «Britten and Armenia» Music Festival in Yerevan. Since 1997 — Music director and conductor of the Yerevan State Music Chamber Theater. In 1997 he performed at the Aldeburgh Festival, Great Britain. 2001 — Principal Conductor of the Armenian National State Opera and Ballet Theatre. In 2001-2002 he made productions of the operas Carmen by Georges Bizet and Norma by Vincenzo Bellini.
In September-October 2002 he gave five concerts with the Symphony Orchestra of Cagliary Lyric Theater (Italy). In January 2003 being the assisting conductor to Maestro G.Rojdestvensky he performed the opera Oprichnik by P. Tchaikovsky at the Cagliary Lyric Theatre. In March 2003 he performed with the Orchestra del Teatro Regio in Torino (Italy). In May 2003 he made the production and has conducted 6 performances of Don Giovanni by W.A. Mozart at the Opera Thessaloniki (Greece). In October 2003 he has performed the Beethoven's masterpieces with the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra and the Sao Carlos National Opera Company Choir in Lisbon (Portugal).
In November 2003 he made the production and has conducted three performances of the opera Evgeny Onegin by P. Tchaikovsky at the Teatro Verdi, Sassari (Italy). Since March 2002 he is in the position of resident conductor of the Armenian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Since 2000 he conducts major performances of Fairuz, the greatest singer of Arabic world. Under his baton Fairuz accompanied by international symphony orchestra has performed works of outstanding Lebanese composer Ziad Rahbani at the Beiteddine Festival's three editions (2000, 2001 and 2003). The Beiteddine concerts were followed by performances with Fairuz in the UAE (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006); Kuwait (2001); Basel (Switzerland, 2001); Paris (France, 2002); Mohegan Sun, Los Angeles, Detroit (USA, 2003); Amman (Jordan, 2004); Montreal (Canada, 2005).
In June 2005 at the Ataturk Culture Centre of Istanbul maestro Durgarian has conducted the Gayaneh ballet by Aram Khachaturian during the Armenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre's tour in Turkey. On 24th June 2005 he has performed program of Sergei Prokofiev's music at the Ravenna Festival (Italy) with the Luigi Cherubini Orchestra (Artistic Director — Riccardo Muti) and the Toradze Piano Studio's soloists, including Alexander Toradze. On 26th May 2006 in Russia maestro Durgarian has opened the XI International Musical Olympus Festival with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. On 29th October 2006 under the baton of Karen Durgarian the Orchestra of Opera de Marseille has performed in the Dome (one of the biggest and best venues in Marseille, France) an enchanting concert with internationally known Armenian composer Ara Gevorgian. On 10th and 11th March 2007 maestro Durgarian conducted another two concerts of Ara Gevorgian and the Silantiev State Grand Academic Orchestra (Moscow, Russia) in the Moscow Kremlin Grand Hall. On 18th May 2007 Karen Durgarian with the Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice has performed masterpieces by Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Arutyunian in Genoa, Italy. In 2008 Karen Durgarian was invited to the Mikhailovsky Theatre, where he became musical director of two ballet productions — Spartacus by Aram Khachaturian and Romeo and Juliet by Sergey Prokofiev.
Mariinsky Theatre: 
Mariinsky-2 (New Theatre): 
Mariinsky Concert Hall: 
