“He is the modern Sayat Nova. His compositions are very interesting and unique, and they sound very Armenian. <...> They are very meditative and have face and soul.”
- Loris Tjeknavorian, composer/conductor

[about "Esquisse"] “It was - what shall I say - exquisite.”
- Steven Weinberg, physicist (Nobel laureate)

“He (Manukyan) understands the essence of his native Armenian music very deeply and he has an exceptional talent for the art of orchestration. <…> I often hear some exotic dissonances in his works, and now I know that those come from Armenian national folklore, as they are played on some folk instruments. I like the way he uses those in his own scores. It’s never overdone. To me it always sounds like it couldn’t have been written otherwise.”
- Rowan Taylor, composer

“The Trio [for Clarinet, Violin and Piano] is a marvelous work, full of golden nuggets. Most importantly for me, it is a true "Armenian" composition, with genuine inspiration and original language. <...> [on "Monologue"] A brilliant work both in its technical qualities and insightful intelligence."
- Konstantin Orbelian, composer (Peoples Artist of the USSR)

[in a letter to Manukyan] “...I am excited by having a piece of serious music dedicated in part to me. <…> When I’m next in Los Angeles or you in New York City, we must meet.”
- James D. Watson, biologist (Nobel laureate)

“I was very pleased with the new pieces [“World Without War”, “Esquisse”, etc.] Have listened to them several times and will do so often.”
- Noam Chomsky, linguist and philosopher

“Everything in the score [Symphony No. 1] serves well for the obvious purpose - to make the music sound as “Armenian" as possible while still keeping it contemporary in every sense.”
- James Newton, composer

“What I particularly like about his music is that it doesn’t need you to be "prepared" to listen to and appreciate classical music. No! You listen to it and you say to yourself, “Today I want shish kebab for dinner!”
- Stephen Piazza, conductor

“I always considered Edward to be a composer, even when he hadn't yet learned how to read music. He used to compose with just his natural talent but he was already thinking as a mature composer. I knew that his love for music was everything he needed.”
- Gagik Mamyan, composer

“He writes beautiful melodies and his youthful energy is transmitted into the music. <...> I think I can say on behalf of the whole orchestra that we all enjoyed working with him and those years will always remain wonderful memories for all of us. <…> I have always been astonished by his leadership abilities and strong will power. His love and obsession with music seems to be unconditional and limitless.”
- Tigran Padaryan, conductor

“I sincerely appreciate our friendship as one of the greatest assets in my life. And his music, in its turn, has always been a source of joy for me."
- Sergey Sargsyan, writer

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