Inspired by Love: Areg Buniatyan’s Master Prize Journey Into Music Shaped by Memory, Emotion, and the Soul
- WOMCO
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
Areg Buniatyan, composer and guitarist from Nice, France, has been honored with the Master Prize for his guitar work Inspired by Love at the Music Talent Award 2025 Season 3. The competition took place from May 28 to August 28, with results revealed on September 19. With this achievement, we invited Areg to share the story behind Inspired by Love, the moments that shaped its creation, and the artistic philosophy that guides his work. What follows is a conversation that reveals not only the origins of the piece, but also the deeply personal reflections that continue to inspire his music.
Could you please introduce your award-winning composition Inspired by Love for guitar? When and under what circumstances was it composed? Could you share the inspiration behind the composition and the message you hope to convey through it?
Areg Buniatyan:
"I composed the piece Inspired by Love in France, from June 2021 to March 2023, and recorded it on March 20, 2025.
On a summer evening in 2021, when the sun had not yet set, the prelude of this music — 0:00–0:48 — appeared in my mind. It was born from the beautiful scene of lovers sitting by the seaside, and the continuation of the music, the other parts and developments, I composed inspired by other moments of life — moments that were silently infinitely beautiful and filled my heart with love.
When I say love, it embraces both romantic moments and life events that reflect other facets of love, which undoubtedly warmed my heart. For example, I met a very precious and dear person, and when they hugged me with longing, I felt their love and warmth. Or I received a gift from my students and felt their sincere and selfless love and respect towards me. Or I simply saw how beautiful the sunrise was and appreciated the Creator’s love for humanity.
These moments inspired me, and I reflected them in all parts of the music. And the melancholic section of the piece — especially from 2:18 to 3:27 — reflects separation from a loved one, the temporariness of life’s beautiful moments, being far from beloved people, and it contains memories that were deeply moving."
What was your creative process like while composing Inspired by Love? How did you approach the structure and dynamics of the piece?
Areg Buniatyan:
"The structure of the music was not determined from the beginning, because in general, up to this day, all the pieces I have created can be said to have been born simultaneously in my mind and in my soul. I heard them and transferred them to the guitar — mostly trying to convey the music exactly as it sounded inside me, striving to avoid major structural changes.
The difficulty often lies in the fact that the guitar, as a musical instrument, sometimes limits the possibility of fully expressing my music. But at the same time, on other instruments with broader possibilities — for example, the piano — even more contradictions arise. The sounds of the music that are born in my mind do not have the characteristic timbre of any instrument. They are quite different, and through the guitar I try to resemble them as much as possible."
Can you share your experience recording your own work Inspired by Love as a solo guitarist, and were there any particularly memorable moments during the recording process?
Areg Buniatyan:
"All the work on my The City Lights Are Telling Stories album was done entirely by myself, from beginning to end. I recorded everything at home, and I also have a video of the piece Inspired by Love, filmed from different angles. I think I will publish it on social platforms after some time. I give special thanks to my friend Khachatur Asatryan for continuously encouraging me throughout the whole process."
Could you talk to us about yourself, your journey in music, and your future goals? Could you also share your perspective on what defines a great guitarist in today’s digital age, and what you consider to be the most significant artistic or professional challenges facing musician today and in the coming years?
Areg Buniatyan:
"Briefly About Me
I was born and raised in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. I started learning the guitar at the age of 11. I graduated from two different music schools with excellence. I have participated in various music competitions and became a laureate. My second guitar teacher, Vardan Vardanyan, played an especially significant role in my full mastery of the guitar. He is a powerful teacher and a caring elder friend, to whom I am immensely grateful and always will be.
I taught for about 7 years at the Sargis Aslamazyan N°1 Music School in Yerevan. I have been living in France for almost 7 years now and continue my musical activity here. I have numerous musical performances, especially on YouTube, and at the moment I am actively engaged in developing my musical career, particularly on social platforms.
MY MESSAGE
A person must live, create, and give life to everything that is born through their soul, mind, heart, and hands.
*********************
Civilization has reached the point where a replacement for the human being has been created — artificial intelligence. It undoubtedly performs miracles, but it also very often threatens to deprive humans of the sacred gift called creativity.
So why create, if what you’ve created sometimes seems weaker than what a machine makes?
This crisis simply reminds us of one essential truth: AS LONG AS A PERSON LIVES, THEY MUST CREATE. The Creator has shaped all of us, and He lives within us through that very need and will to create.
I have students who are also gifted with creative talent. As a guitarist and composer, I have the privilege of seeing that potential in them, revealing it, and developing it through proper guidance and work.
I believe that if we have the opportunity to educate children, then their future and ours are truly in our own hands. Only by educating ourselves and by educating and guiding them correctly can we make the future better.
This is not an ordinary path; this is a struggle.
This struggle has much deeper roots and meaning than merely accumulating wealth or simply earning a piece of bread. It is an inner dedication that I carry through my experience—learning, creating, playing, teaching, encouraging, inspiring, and preserving the idea that the breath and will of the Creator must never fade within a person.
The more real spiritual values a person has and the richer their inner world is, the more elevated and brilliant their creations are."