Born in Yerevan, Armenia on February 1st, 1973, Arno Mkrtchyan was the youngest child in his family of four. Early on, Arno developed a love for singing as he was tremendously inspired by his father, Galust Mkrtchyan, who had attended the Yerevan School of Music and performed numerous times at Armenia’s famous Radio House. 　　 　　After showing a great interest in performing at a young age, Arno began singing to entertain people at family gatherings. From the age of four he started playing the hand drum “dhol” and singing at all occasions. Family and friends began to recognize that Arno had an excellent voice. Soon, every gathering, no matter how small, brought him the opportunity for a performance. Arno began to dream that one day he would have his own band and would perform for the Armenian community. 　　 　　In November 1982, Arno and his family moved to the United States of America. Arno’s first professional performance came in 1991, at a dinner dance that was sponsored by his brother Ararat. With the assistance of “Ani Band”, Arno sang for three hundred people and received excellent recognition for his performance. After graduating from high school, Arno attended college and enrolled in vocal training courses that would help prepare him for future performances. As he worked very hard to make his dream come true, Arno decided to start his own band. 　　 　　In 1994 Arno got together with guitarist Neshan Piloyan and created “Yerevan Band”. Shortly thereafter, three other members joined the band. Galust Mzrakyan (keyboards), Petros “Peter” Arzumanyan (drums) and Levon Govbashyan (bass guitar) completed the five-member ensemble. Ever since, the band has stuck together and performed at various functions throughout the United States. The Yerevan Band has also appeared at numerous non-profit events put together by different Armenian organizations such as the Navasartian Games and Armenian Fest. 　　 　　Arno is very family-oriented and likes nothing better than to spend his free time with his loved ones. People who know him appreciate his honesty and his dedication to his friends and family. 　　 　　Currently Arno is working on his first album which will be released in 2009. New music videos and performances will follow.