[1] Papelyan was born in Scutari (now Üsküdar) district of Constantinople [now Istanbul] in the Ottoman Empire.

Papelyan developed the principles of his teaching method by examining various treatises on educational philosophy, by learning from experience and by reflecting on the act of performance itself.

After the Great Fire of Üsküdar in 1921, when the Papelyan household was destroyed, Stepan first moved to the neighboring district of Kadıköy, and then to Pera (now Beyoğlu), where he continued his musical activities.

He wrote numerous articles in the Armenian media about literature, art, philosophy and events of the time.

[2] Stepan Papelyan died in Istanbul in 1960 and is buried in the Şişli Armenian Cemetery.