His mother, who was an artist and a teacher, taught him to love and understand music, and his uncle, who was a stage designer, introduced him to painting.

During World War II, Melkonian studied in S. Merkurov art school and at the same time worked in the theater of Gyumri doing stage design.

In those years, he greatly benefited from the powerful influence of Melikset Svakchyan, one of the most brilliant Armenian artists and stage designers.

The painting, which depicts, against a scenic background, Komitas in the midst of boys and girls, immediately caught the eye with its rhythmical color scheme, harmonious composition and delicate hues.

[4] Melkonian's early works with their subtle glow and wistful lyricism defined the scope of his interest and his admiration for things simple and unpretentious.

He hears graceful and tender melody of scenes where a mother nurses her child, girls rest in stacks of hay carrying jugs of water, a youth plays a pipe, or boys admire a white stag by a stream.

Its most characteristic features are the precise simplicity of drawing, the richness of substance and bold statement of values adopted by the new school of Armenian painting that emerged in the 1960s.

The artist once more arrests the viewer's attention with the ambiance of the painting, taking him to the world of youth, communicating its spirit and inviting to listen to the melody of the human soul.

The artist easily communicates with his models and, most importantly, creates an emotionally charged and captivating mood that gets hold of the viewer.

The image gains the unique features of the model and at the same time serves to implicitly affirm the author's aesthetic, moral and civil stance.

The vibrant layer of hues and meticulous attention to detail charged the paintings with depth, emotion and wistful substance.