Jeff Manookian (24/11/1953 - 10/07/2021), an American composer, from Salt Lake City (Utah). He is a Salt Lake-based pianist, composer and conductor. Manookian shared 1st prize in the 2017 International Piano Competition of the World Piano Teachers Association. He was a recipient of commissions by the Barlow Endowment of Brigham Young University, the Abramyan String Quartet[7] and the National Endowment for the Arts. Manookian had been Music Director of the Theatre Orchestra of Tucumán (Argentina),[9] Intermountain Classical Orchestra (Salt Lake City, Utah), University of Utah Summer Arts Orchestra,[11] Westminster Chamber Orchestra (Salt Lake City, Utah), and Artistic Director of the Oratorio Society of Utah (USA).

Jeff Manookian (24/11/1953), Grand Prize winner in the Frederick Delius Composition Competition and a triple-Grand Prize winner of the Composers Guild International Composition Contest, is one of Utah’s busiest composers. A recipient of a commission from the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition, Manookian has received commissions from the Utah Music Teachers Association, Utah Flute Association, Utah Centennial Commission, Utah Arts Council, Episcopal Diocese of Utah, Cathedral of the Madeleine, Salt Lake Symphony, National Endowment for the Arts, Westminster College, Sandy City and the American West Symphony, Duehlmeier/Grittion Piano Duo, and the Abramyan String Quartet.
Manookian’s music has been performed at the Kennedy Center (which was broadcast live over the Internet). Ensembles and performers such as the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra (in Boston’s Symphony Hall and in Prague’s Dvorak Hall), Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, National Armenian Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Serenade Chamber Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony, Utah Symphony, University Musical Society of Las Vegas, Carson City Symphony (NV), American West Symphony, Salt Lake Symphony, Westminster Chamber Orchestra, Intermountain Classical Orchestra, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Gloriana Choir, Salt Lake Symphonic Choir, Contemporary Music Consortium, Monticello Medici Chamber Ensemble (CA), Park City International Music Festival, Old Church Concerts of San Francisco, Ensemble Bartok (Santiago, Chile), pianist Grant Johanessen, and numerous soloists have included Manookian’s works on their concert rosters.
Several of Manookian compositions have been published by Warmer Brothers Publications, Feature Films for Families, and Windsor Editions. Manookian’s works can be heard on the Albany Records, 4-Tay Records, MMC Recordings, Tantara, and MAF Excel labels.
As a pianist, Manookian has soloed with the Philippines Philharmonic, Mexico State Symphony, National Symphony of Bolivia, South Coast Symphony (CA), Northridge Academy Orchestra (CA), Butte Symphony (MT), Utah Symphony, Salt Lake Philharmonic, Utah Youth Symphony, American West Symphony, Intermountain Classical Orchestra, and the Westminster Chamber Orchestra. He has performed on national television in several countries and has been featured on the Liberace Show, Mike Douglas Show, Joe Franklin Show, and the Ted Mack Amateur Hour. Manookian has performed in New York’s Merkin Hall as winner of the Aram Khachaturian International Piano Competition, Kennedy Center, Primeira Semana de Musica das Americas in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Bösendorfer Saal in Vienna, Austria; Arts on the Green in Costa Mesa, California; and the Park City International Music Festival.
Manookian has guest conducted the Pasadena Symphony, Armenian Philharmonic Orhcestra, National Armenian Opera Orchestra and Choir, Serenade Chamber Orchestra, University Musical Society Orchestra of Las Vegas, Ruby Mountain Symphony (NV), University of Utah SummerArts Orchestra, Salt Lake Symphony, American West Symphony, Murray Symphony, Salt Lake Symphonic Choir, Nachtmusik Chamber Orchestra, and the Oratorio Society of Utah. He has been music director and conductor of the Utah Youth Symphony, Westminster Chamber Orchestra, and the Intermountain Classical Orchestra.