Jason Kouchak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jason Kouchak
Background information
Genres	Classical, chanson, new age
Occupation(s)	pianist, singer, songwriter, composer
Instruments	piano, vocals, violin
Years active	1990–present

Jason Kouchak is a talented French pianist, composer, and singer-songwriter. He is known for his classical music performances and for creating music related to chess. He has performed all over the world and recorded several albums.

Early Life and Education

Jason Mariano Kouchak was born in Lyon, France. He went to Westminster School and studied classical piano at the Royal College of Music. He also studied at the University of Edinburgh. Jason Kouchak is a descendant of Alexander Kolchak, a famous Russian naval commander from history.

Performing and Recording Music

Jason Kouchak has released five music albums. Two of these were recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London. He has appeared on TV in both Britain (BBC) and Japan (NHK), playing his own music.

He has traveled around the world as a classical pianist. He has performed in places like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan. Some of the famous venues where he has played include the Royal Festival Hall in London and the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. He also gave recitals at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Jason Kouchak has performed with other well-known musicians. He played a special version of The Moon Represents My Heart for Julian Lloyd Webber's 60th birthday concert. In 2010, he performed with singer and actress Elaine Paige at a concert celebrating the 200th anniversary of Chopin's birth. He has also sung in cabaret shows at places like the Café de Paris.

In 2012, Kouchak performed at the Galle Literary Festival with writer Tom Stoppard. That same year, he played the piano at the opening of the London Chess Classic, a big chess tournament. He also became the Director of Music for the 20th French Film Festival UK. He performed at the British Embassy in Paris for Chopin's anniversary.

Special Performances

Jason Kouchak has had many special performances throughout his career.

In 1990, he was a guest artist at Princess Margaret's 60th birthday party. He also played classical piano at the film premiere of Hamlet by Zeffirelli.

In 1998, Kouchak performed his version of Sakura (a Japanese folk song) for Emperor Akihito at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He had also played this piece at a charity event for the Kobe earthquake in 1995. Sakura was recorded with Julian Lloyd Webber on his album Cello Moods. The Olympic ice skater Yuka Sato used this music in 1999. In 2017, he performed it again at a special concert in Brussels.

In 2011 and 2013, Kouchak performed the Russian song Dark Is the Night with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2017, a special concert was held to mark 100 years since the Russian Revolution.

Kouchak performed Scheherazade at the opening of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in 2015. He also wrote the festival's official theme song for 2016. In 2017, he organized and performed at a concert celebrating 100 years of Finland's independence at the Embassy of Finland in London.

In 2018, Jason Kouchak released a music tribute called Victory Moves for chess champions Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. He also created a ballet project about chess, with two orchestral pieces. This was to celebrate 100 years of women's rights in the UK. In June 2019, at the Norway Chess closing ceremony, Kouchak played Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor. He also premiered his own piece, Queen of the Knight, which blended classical chess with modern tournament styles. In July 2019, Kouchak performed at the opening of the Heart of Finland international chess tournament.

In 2020, Kouchak created a music piece about astronomy. This marked the 200th anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society and 60 years since Yuri Gagarin's space flight. In 2021, he celebrated ten years of Holland Park Chess and the Chessfest in Trafalgar Square. He produced the theme song for Chessfest, Into the Light, which included music and dance. This song was also performed at the Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

In 2021, Kouchak played Rachmaninoff at the Royal Automobile Club to celebrate the return of the Oxford vs Cambridge Varsity match. In 2022, he wrote a musical called A Queen Before Her Time about Vera Menchik, a famous female chess player. This musical was celebrated during International Women's Day in London.

In July 2022, Kouchak celebrated the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II with Pattie Boyd. They created a special chess problem on the giant chess board at Holland Park to honor the Queen's many years of service.

In September 2024, Jason Kouchak performed his chess-themed song "Royal Game" at the opening of the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary. This event celebrated the Olympiad's 100th anniversary.

Public Contributions

Jason Kouchak has made several contributions to the community.

He helped launch two Children's Giant Chess Sets. One was in Holland Park, London, with Stuart Conquest in 2010. The other was in The Meadows (park) in Edinburgh in 2013, featuring John Tenniel's Alice in Wonderland chess set. In 2013, Kouchak also led a campaign to save the famous piano department at Harrods department store.

He composed the official theme song for the CSC chess charity, called Moving Forward.

In 2011, Kouchak founded the Tsubasa Children's Choir. This choir opened the Matsuri Festival and performed "Jupiter" from Holst's Planets suite in Trafalgar Square in 2012 for the Queen's Jubilee. In 2016, his chess and ballet musical work was performed at the British Museum and in New York. These performances celebrated the important role of women as queens in chess. Kouchak also created and composed the stage show The Queen's Journey in 2017 for Judit Polgar's Global Chess Festival. In 2018, he received an award as a Goodwill Ambassador for Artistic Values of Chess. In 2019, he contributed to discussions about education and empowering women in chess at the London Chess Conference.

Discography

• Space Between Notes (2017)
• Comme d'Habitude (2011)
• Midnight Classics (2008)
• Forever (2001)
• Watercolours (1999)
• Première Impression – 1997
• Cello Moods (Sakura only)

See also

In Spanish: Jason Kouchak para niños