During World War II, Soviet Armenian authorities sent the orchestra to hold concerts for the Red Army.
[1] The orchestra's first drummer, Robert Yolchyan, became an important artist of Soviet and Armenian jazz, developing his own style over time and continuing to play and give master-classes until his death in 2001.
Following World War II, a complete ban was imposed on jazz music until the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953.
Internationally, prominent jazz musicians such as giants were drawn to the music of Soviet-Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian.
In 1963, while still a student at Yerevan Brusov State University, jazz pianist Levon Malkhasyan founded the first small jazz band in Yerevan, the Levon Malkhasyan Trio, along with Armen Tutunjyan ("Chico") and Arthur Abrahamyan.