Arsen Merzoyan

Arsen Mirzoyan is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter and musician, an Honoured Artist of Ukraine and one of the recognisable voices of Ukraine’s contemporary singer-songwriter scene. He became widely known after appearing in the first season of the television talent show The Voice of Ukraine (Holos Krainy) in 2011, although his journey in music had begun much earlier.

Mirzoyan’s work is difficult to define within a single genre. His songs combine elements of singer-songwriter music, rock and pop, with particular emphasis on lyrics — stories about people, relationships, choices, time, memory and events that change human lives. A significant part of his repertoire consists of material he has written himself.

Over the course of his career, Arsen Mirzoyan has released a number of studio albums, created dozens of songs and developed a distinctive performing style. He has performed in Ukraine and abroad, while following the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he has also been actively involved in volunteering and charitable initiatives.

General Information

Arsen Romanovych Mirzoyan was born on 20 May 1978 in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. He trained as an engineer. In 1995, he entered the Zaporizhzhia State Engineering Academy, where he studied non-ferrous metallurgy, graduating in 2000. Before music became his main profession, Mirzoyan spent many years working at industrial enterprises in Zaporizhzhia.

Alongside his regular work, he pursued music, performed with local bands and participated in various creative projects. This period became an important part of his development as an artist. Mirzoyan arrived on the national stage as an adult with considerable life and professional experience and with his own understanding of the kind of music he wanted to create.

In 2020, Arsen Mirzoyan was awarded the title of Honoured Artist of Ukraine.

Childhood, Youth and First Steps in Music

Arsen Mirzoyan grew up in Zaporizhzhia, one of Ukraine’s major industrial cities. The environment in which he was raised would later become part of the broader identity surrounding his work. For many years, music existed alongside education, sport and his professional career.

In his youth, Mirzoyan played handball, was interested in theatre and later performed in KVN comedy competitions. One of his early experiences in music was his involvement with the Zaporizhzhia band Baburka. Together with the group, he took part in music festivals and competitions including Perlyny Sezonu and Chervona Ruta.

Another remarkable aspect of Mirzoyan’s biography is his experience with serious hearing problems. In 2000, he lost hearing in his left ear, and several years later he also experienced problems with his right ear. Despite this, he continued making music and ultimately built a professional career as a singer and songwriter.

Before launching his solo career, Mirzoyan had accumulated experience far beyond conventional musical performances. He appeared in KVN, participated in television and entertainment projects and, in 2008, performed at the Tavriyski Ihry festival as part of the Ukrainian band Tartak.

All these experiences gradually led to the point at which music developed from a parallel passion into his main profession.

The Beginning of His Professional Career and The Voice of Ukraine

The year 2011 became a turning point for Arsen Mirzoyan when he participated in the first season of the television project The Voice of Ukraine.

Mirzoyan joined Stas Piekha’s team and reached the final of the competition, finishing in fourth place. During the final, he performed his own song «Nich», which later appeared in his discography under the title «Vahitni Maibutnim».

His participation in The Voice of Ukraine gave Mirzoyan an opportunity to introduce himself to a national audience not only as a vocalist but also as a songwriter with his own material. This distinction proved important for his subsequent career: rather than relying exclusively on songs written by others, he began building his identity around original compositions.

That same year, Mirzoyan released his debut album, Gudzyky. The album was presented on 30 November 2011 and included 11 tracks, among them «Buvai, Malyi», «Ne na Liudiakh», «Vahitni Maibutnim» and «Ivana Kupala», a duet with Ukrainian singer Tonya Matvienko.

This marked the beginning of Arsen Mirzoyan’s full-scale solo discography.

Solo Career and Development as an Artist

Following The Voice of Ukraine, Mirzoyan did not remain an artist associated with a single television project. The following years demonstrated that the show had been a starting point that allowed him to bring his own material to a much wider audience.

In 2013, he released the album Nezruchni Lizhka. It included songs such as «Kapronovi Banty», «Piata Akhilla», «Zymovyi Pliazh», «Nevchasna» and «Vinni-Pukh».

A distinctive image of Mirzoyan as a singer-songwriter gradually emerged. In his work, lyrics are often as important as melody, and individual songs frequently revolve around a particular story, character, memory or emotional episode.

Further important releases included Nich, Paperovyi Snih, Slova i Noty and Ingredient. Each expanded his repertoire while preserving the recognisable qualities of his songwriting.

In 2017, Mirzoyan also participated in Ukraine’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song «Dzheraldina».

By the end of the 2010s, Arsen Mirzoyan was no longer perceived primarily as a former television talent-show contestant but as an established Ukrainian artist with his own audience, discography and extensive concert history.

Musical Style and Songwriting

One of the defining characteristics of Arsen Mirzoyan’s work is his approach to a song as a self-contained story.

People are frequently at the centre of his compositions — their relationships, memories, inner conflicts, love, separation, growing older and the necessity of making choices. As a result, many of Mirzoyan’s songs are experienced as much through their lyrics as through their melodies.

Musically, his work lies at the intersection of the singer-songwriter tradition, pop rock and contemporary Ukrainian popular music. Arrangements can range from intimate guitar-driven performances to full-band concert productions, but the core elements generally remain the voice, melody and lyrics.

Another feature of his songwriting is the use of literary and cultural imagery. Historical and literary references, names and metaphors appear throughout his songs — ranging from Saint-Exupéry and George Sand to Magellan and Geraldine.

This combination of personal lyricism, narrative songwriting and Mirzoyan’s distinctive vocal timbre has made his musical style recognisable to Ukrainian audiences.

Arsen Mirzoyan’s Discography

Arsen Mirzoyan’s discography reflects the gradual development of his songwriting style. Among his key album releases are Gudzyky (2011), Nezruchni Lizhka (2013), Nich (2015), Paperovyi Snih (2016), Slova i Noty (2017) and Ingredient (2019).

His debut album Gudzyky effectively documented his transition to a professional solo career, while Nezruchni Lizhka continued to develop the lyrical approach that would become characteristic of his work.

His musical language became increasingly diverse in subsequent releases. Paperovyi Snih included the title track as well as songs such as «Inshi Dveri», «Mozhesh Yak…», «Taksi» and «Potsilui».

In 2017, Mirzoyan released Slova i Noty, featuring tracks including «Idioti», «Zmenshui Oberty», «Pozych Meni Sebe», «Dzheraldina» and «Ne Mahellan». In 2019, his discography continued with Ingredient, which was presented as part of a major solo concert at the Palace «Ukraine» in Kyiv.

In addition to albums, a significant part of Mirzoyan’s repertoire consists of individual singles, collaborations and songs created during the period of the Russo-Ukrainian war. These include «Moia Kraina», released in 2022, and «Viryty», released in 2025.

Mirzoyan’s discography can therefore be viewed not simply as a collection of individual songs but as a continuing songwriting story in which changes in themes, language and the artist’s emotional perspective can be traced over time.

Personal Life

Arsen Mirzoyan’s personal life is also connected with Ukrainian musical culture. His wife is Ukrainian singer Tonya Matvienko, daughter of the late People’s Artist of Ukraine Nina Matvienko.

Arsen and Tonya met while participating in The Voice of Ukraine. Their creative and personal relationship subsequently developed in parallel, and they have performed together on numerous occasions and recorded collaborative songs.

Family themes are not entirely separate from Mirzoyan’s public artistic identity. Relationships, home, children, growing older and responsibility regularly appear as themes within his songwriting.

Contribution to Ukrainian Music and Culture

Arsen Mirzoyan’s place in contemporary Ukrainian music is closely connected with the singer-songwriter tradition within the wider popular music scene.

He belongs to a group of performers for whom original material forms the foundation of their musical identity. In Mirzoyan’s case, the artist simultaneously acts as singer, songwriter and storyteller.

Another important aspect of his development has been the increasing presence of the Ukrainian language and Ukrainian cultural context within his repertoire. Songs from different stages of his career reflect changes both in the artist himself and in Ukrainian society.

His biography also represents an unconventional route into the music industry. Mirzoyan did not achieve national recognition as a teenager or immediately after graduating from a music academy. His background included an engineering education, industrial work, participation in regional bands and years of performance experience before he became nationally known.

As a result, he has established a position in contemporary Ukrainian music as a performer for whom songwriting is closely connected with personal experience rather than being solely a product of the entertainment industry.

Support for Ukraine

A separate chapter in Arsen Mirzoyan’s biography is connected with the Russo-Ukrainian war and his support for Ukrainian service members.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the artist became actively involved in volunteering. He has performed for Ukrainian military personnel, participated in charitable events and helped raise funds and obtain essential equipment for units of Ukraine’s Defence Forces.

One area of this activity has involved providing vehicles for frontline needs. Mirzoyan has repeatedly taken part in trips to areas close to the front, supported military personnel and medics, and performed for Ukrainian defenders.

The reality of war has also influenced his music. His repertoire has expanded to include works directly connected with Ukraine, war, military service, loss, resilience and hope.

Support for Ukraine therefore occupies two interconnected areas of Mirzoyan’s contemporary biography — practical volunteering and the reflection of Ukraine’s wartime experience in his creative work.

Concert Career and International Performances

Live performance has always played an important role in Arsen Mirzoyan’s career. His concert format is particularly well suited to the singer-songwriter nature of his repertoire: many of his compositions rely less on large-scale spectacle and more on direct interaction between the performer and the audience.

Over time, the geography of his performances has expanded beyond Ukraine. International concerts also provide an opportunity for the artist to meet Ukrainian audiences who now live across Europe.

In this context, international performances by Ukrainian artists have acquired an additional cultural significance. They are not only part of an international touring career but also a way for Ukrainian audiences abroad to maintain a connection with their language, music and contemporary culture.

For Mirzoyan, this concert format is particularly natural. His live repertoire brings together songs from different periods of his career — from early releases to works created in recent years.

Arsen Mirzoyan — Concerts and 2026 Tour

In 2026, Arsen Mirzoyan continues his concert activity, presenting his music to audiences in Ukraine and abroad.

His concert programme brings together different stages of his career: songs associated with the beginning of his solo work, compositions from his major albums and more recent material.

For an artist with an extensive catalogue of original songs, a concert tour can also function as a retrospective. Earlier compositions are performed alongside works created after events that fundamentally changed Ukraine and the lives of millions of Ukrainians.

The international part of Mirzoyan’s concert activity also reflects a wider development in contemporary Ukrainian culture — the growing presence of Ukrainian music on European stages and its direct relationship with audiences outside Ukraine.

Arsen Mirzoyan in London — 20 November 2026

One of Arsen Mirzoyan’s international performances in 2026 will take place in London.

Arsen Mirzoyan will perform at OLE Kyiv in London on 20 November 2026. The concert starts at 8:00 PM.

The London performance will become another chapter in the artist’s continuing concert history and an opportunity to hear his music live — from compositions associated with his early albums to more recent material.

For Ukrainian audiences in the United Kingdom, concerts of this kind also have a broader cultural context. Ukrainian music is now heard far beyond the country’s borders, while live performances help maintain a direct connection between contemporary Ukrainian culture and Ukrainians living abroad.

In Mirzoyan’s case, this connection is particularly visible. Over the years, his music has travelled from smaller stages in Zaporizhzhia and his breakthrough on The Voice of Ukraine to major concert venues and international performances.

London becomes another point on that journey.

Conclusion

Arsen Mirzoyan’s biography is an example of a creative career that developed gradually and followed a path far removed from the conventional music-industry narrative.

An engineer by education, an industrial worker, a member of musical groups and television projects, a finalist of The Voice of Ukraine and ultimately an independent singer-songwriter — each of these stages has contributed to his artistic identity.

Over the course of his solo career, Mirzoyan has developed his own musical language in which words occupy a central place. His songs explore people and relationships, love and separation, memory and time, and, in recent years, Ukraine and the experience of living through war.

Alongside his musical career, the artist is involved in volunteer initiatives, supports Ukrainian service members and continues to perform both in Ukraine and internationally.

Arsen Mirzoyan’s London concert on 20 November 2026 is another continuation of this journey — from Zaporizhzhia and his first musical groups to an extensive catalogue of original songs, a long-running solo career and meetings with Ukrainian audiences in different countries around the world.