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Tigran Hamasyan

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Occupation(s)
  
Musician, composer

Name
  
Tigran Hamasyan

Instruments
  
Piano, vocals

Role
  
Pianist

Years active
  
2001–present

Genres
  
Jazz

Website
  
tigranhamasyan.com


Tigran Hamasyan staticguimcouksysimagesGuardianAboutGenera

Born
  
July 17, 1987 (age 36) Gyumri, Armenia (
1987-07-17
)

Education
  
University of Southern California

Albums
  
Luys I Luso, Mockroot, Shadow Theater, A Fable, Lobi

Similar People
  
Lars Danielsson, Magnus Ostrom, Arve Henriksen, Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Malik Mezzadri

Profiles

Tigran hamasyan piano solo on drums by helen de la rosa


Tigran Hamasyan (Armenian: Տիգրան Համասյան; born July 17, 1987) is an Armenian jazz pianist. He plays mostly original compositions, which are strongly influenced by the Armenian folk tradition, often using its scales and modalities. In addition to Tigran's folk influence, he is much influenced by American jazz traditions and to some extent, as on his album Red Hail, by progressive rock. His solo album A Fable is most strongly influenced by Armenian folk. Even on his most overt jazz compositions and renditions of well-known jazz pieces, his improvisations often contain embellishments based on scales from Middle Eastern/South Western Asian traditions.

Contents

Tigran Hamasyan NPR interview with Tigran Hamasyan

Tigran hamasyan samsara


Early life

Tigran Hamasyan TigranHamasyan YouTube

Hamasyan was born in Gyumri, Armenia. His ancestors were from the Kars region. His father was a jeweler and his mother designed clothes. At the age of three he began to play melodies on his family's piano, and he went to a music school from the age of six. As a young child, he dreamed of being a thrash metal guitarist.

Tigran Hamasyan tigranjpg

He studied jazz from the age of nine, then tried to incorporate local folk melodies into jazz-form improvisations when in his teens. At this stage, Hamasyan was influenced by Armenian composers Arno Babajanian and Avet Terterian. Hamasyan, together with his parents and sister, moved to Yerevan when he was around 10, and then to California when he was 16. He currently resides in Erevan, Armenia.

Career

Hamasyan recorded his first album, World Passion, at the age of 18. He spent a lot of 2013 in Armenia, which helped develop his interest in its folk music.

Awards

  • 2002: 3rd Prize Concours International de Piano-Jazz Martial Solal (Paris).
  • 2003: 1st Prize Jazz à Juan Révélations in the jazz instrumental category.
  • 2003: 1st Prize Prix de la Critique et du Public, Concours de Piano du Montreux Jazz Festival.
  • 2005: 3rd Prize Concours de Piano-Jazz de Moscou.
  • 2005: 1st Prize 8ème Concours de Solistes de Jazz de Monaco.
  • 2006: 1st Prize Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.
  • 2006: 2nd Prize Concours International de Piano-Jazz Martial Solal.
  • 2013: Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Contemporary Music
  • 2016: ECHO Jazz Awards.
  • Albums

    As lead artist

    EPs

  • EP No. 1 (2011) Released exclusively on vinyl and digital download
  • The Poet - EP (2014)
  • Collaborations

  • 2010: Abu Nawas Rhapsody with Dhafer Youssef (Jazzland Records)
  • 2011: Lines Of Oppression with Ari Hoenig (Naive/AH-HA)
  • 2012: Liberetto with Lars Danielsson (The Act Company)
  • 2012: Lobi with Stéphane Galland (Out There / Out Note)
  • 2013: Jazz-Iz-Christ with Serj Tankian, Valeri Tolstov & Tom Duprey
  • 2013: The World Begins Today with Oliver Bogé, Sam Minaie & Jeff Ballard (naïve Jazz)
  • 2014: Liberetto II with Lars Danielsson (The Act Company)
  • 2015: Ancient Mechanisms with LV (Brownswood Recordings)
  • 2016: Atmosphères with Arve Henriksen, Eivind Aarset, and Jan Bang (ECM)
  • References

    Tigran Hamasyan Wikipedia


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