Karen Asatrian facts for kids
Karen Asatrian (born June 23, 1972) is a talented jazz pianist and composer from Armenia. His music is special because it blends modern jazz sounds with traditional Armenian folk music. For example, his album "Noor," made with the Karen Asatrian and Armenian Spirit band, takes old Armenian songs and gives them a fresh, contemporary jazz twist.
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Karen Asatrian's Early Life and Music Education
Karen Asatrian began his musical journey at a young age. He first studied classical violin and piano at the Tchaikovsky Music School in Yerevan, Armenia. He then continued to learn both instruments and how to compose music at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan. In 1999, he moved to Carinthia, Austria. There, he completed his jazz piano studies with great success, graduating with honors. By 2001, he had earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in music teaching and became a certified jazz piano instructor.
Karen Asatrian's Musical Career and Achievements
Karen Asatrian has had many exciting moments in his music career. He started a special project called the "Brahms Project," which combined a jazz trio with a chamber orchestra. He has also performed his own original music with the Norbert Artner Chamber Choir. Karen has worked with many famous musicians and groups, including The Bruckner Symphony Orchestra, Samul-Nori (a Korean percussion group), Dee Dee Bridgewater, and George Garzone.
He has performed at major music events like the “Three Nights of Jazz” Festivals in Austria, Jazz Festivals Wiesn in Vienna, and Sziget Festivals in Budapest. Karen has also rearranged and performed music by the famous composer J. Brahms. He has appeared in many live studio performances, and on radio and TV shows. Karen Asatrian has played jazz in various groups across Austria, Korea, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Armenia. In 2007, he received the Armenian Music Award for Best Jazz Album for his CD called "Pathway."
In 2017, Karen Asatrian created a large musical piece called "Prayer Wheel." This was an 80-minute composition for a choir and a jazz ensemble. It was first performed in January 2015 at the Concert Hall of Carinthia. Later, it was even performed at the famous Salzburg Festival in 2016 with the Philharmonia Choir Vienna. This performance was recorded and released as a CD in 2017. Besides performing, Karen Asatrian is also a Jazz Piano Professor. He teaches at the Carinthian State Conservatory and the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.
Karen Asatrian's Albums
Karen Asatrian has released several albums, both as the main artist and as a musician playing with other artists.
Albums as the Main Artist
These are albums where Karen Asatrian was the leader of the project.
| Year | Title | Band | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Arahet-Pathway | Karen Asatrian & Armenian Spirit | UNIVERSAL |
| 2009 | Derwish | Karen Asatrian & Armenian Spirit | UNIVERSAL |
| 2017 | Prayer Wheel | Missa for Choir & Jazz Ensemble by KARÉN ASATRIÁN | SKYLARK PRODUCTION |
| 2018 | Noor | Karen Asatrian & Armenian Spirit | SKYLARK PRODUCTION |
Albums as a Guest Musician
Karen Asatrian has also played on albums for other musicians and groups.
- Primus Sitter, Premius Sitter Five (1998)
- Gabriel Lipuš, A more (1999)
- Gabriel Lipuš, Malo čezz (2000)
- Gabriel Lipuš, Čisto čezz (2000)
- Big Band Lienz, Live (2001)
- Couch Ensemble, Winnetou (2003)
- Bernie Mallinger, Mallinger Open Nut (2004)
- Couch Ensemble, Hyper Phlegmathism (2016)
