Ohan Durian was born and raised in Jerusalem. From 1939 to 1945 he studied composition, conducting and organ at the local conservatory. He completed his education in Europe under the tutelage of H.Sherchen, R.Desormiere and G.Martinon.
He has performed with 110 prominent orchestras. For quite a while he worked with opera and symphony orchestras of Avignon and Cape Town. From 1963 to 1968 Mr.Durian was the Music Director of the Leipzig Opera and Permanent Guest Conductor of the “Gewandhaus” Orchestra. Maestro Durian has been compared with A.Toscanini, A.Nikisch, H.Karajan, L.Stokowsky and L.Bernstein in Press.
In 1959 he assumed his position as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra a served a five-year tenure up to 1964.
Being an oppositioner to Soviet Union, he emigrated to Europe and conducted Oper Leipzig and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He directed Moscow Symphonic Orchestra of Stas Namin Center in 2002-2006. He is the author of two symphonic suites “Komitasakan” and other compositions. He has been the first to perform many symphonic works by Armenian composers. Numerous recordings of Maestro Durian have been made during his career.