 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Ohanessian akaberekerwa muBaghdad muna 1927 kumhuri yakapfuma yeArmenian. Baba vake, vakaberekerwa muPersia, vakanga vagara muBaghdad pashure penguva muIndia vachishanda nevaBritain. Amai vake nababamunini vake vaviri vakanga vari nherera dzakapukunyuka kuurayiwa kwevanhu vechiArmenian. Vabereki vake vose vari vaviri vakamukurudzira kudzidza nziyo. Ohanessian akanyoresa muInstitute of Fine Arts, akapedza kudzidza aine kutaurwa kwakakosha sepiyano huru. Paakapedza kudzidza, akashanda somubatsiri womudzidzisi wake wepiano wokuRomania, Julien Hertz. Hurumende yeIraq yakamupa bhezari rakaita kuti aenderere mberi nezvidzidzo zvake paRoyal Academy of Music muLondon napurofesa Max Pirani. Makore mana gare gare, akagamuchira LRAM yake mukuita piyano uye pedagogy, uye wechipiri mukuru mukuimba. Akaenderera mberi kugamuchira Fulbright Scholarship yekudzidza kuJuilliard School muNew York City, iyo yakaguma nekutanga kuita kuCarnegie Hall. Zvadaro chikoro chake chakawedzerwa nerimwe gore, nekuda kwe14 July RevolutionmuIraq. 