'The Armenian orphan who became a great conductor' - BBC Newsday

Vartan Melkonian was brought up in the early 50s as an orphan in the Birds Nest Orphanage in Lebanon until the age of eight. He then lived rough in the slums of Beirut, scouring the streets of the city.

Who could have imagined that this street-slug as Vartan used to be called in the gutters, with a severe speech impediment would grow up to become a conductor of classical music, conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and other similar orchestras in Londons most famous halls and across the globe.